A Murder in Osaka
by Agent66
Summary: A trip to Osaka, Japan takes a wrong turn for Inspector Toriop. Who exactly was Nagi Sakura? And who would want her dead? As he uncovers the clues, they lead him to a years old murder; one that may have followed the victim to Japan.
1. Prologue

A/N: This fic is a bit of a depture from the earlier stuff.

This fic is based on the very famous Agatha Christie novel, "Murder on the Orient Express", with particular regard to the 1974 all star movie. Oddly, I hadn't read nor seen the movie in many years when this idea struck me late one night. For those fans of the book and/or movie, you'll notice that I made some homages to actors and characters, especially in the name of the main charater. As with What Happened Offworld & Yuku Sue Unmei, I'll add a reference chapter at the completed end of the fic.

If you haven't read the book, you can get a synaps over at Spark Notes; if you're looking for the movie, you can find it on You Tube or Veoh. Unforunately, the YT version is missing the first and third parts, but the Veoh version is the full movie, but you'll have to download their player to watch.

DISCLAIMER: The TMNT and their characters are copyright to Eastman, Laird, and Mirage Studios; the plot of this fic is based on the novel, "The Murder on the Orient Express" which is copyrighted to Agatha Christie, as well as any character related to the book. Any relation in name are copyrighted to G W Films.

* * *

**A Murder in Osaka**

* * *

**NEWSFLASH!**

**MURDER IN NEW YORK!**

_January 17__th__, 2012 Manhattan, New York_

New Yorkers and those of the world were stunned this morning as news of the kidnapping of April O'Neil-Jones comes across newspapers and television worldwide. O'Neil, who is co-founder of O'Neil Tech along with her husband and adopted brother, was kidnapped last night from her second story home, which also acts as her second business, Second Time Around, an antique shop that had been in her family for years. She obtained it from her father.

Reports are still coming in, but so far New York police have determined that sometime between the hours of 1 AM and 3 AM, an assailant or assailants entered the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jones through the bedroom window. The Jones' had been entertaining extended family who were staying at the Jones apartment. Police so far have confirmed one victim, that of O'Neil's adopted father, who had been staying in the Jones' bedroom due to a case of a cold.

Police have also stated that along with the death of Mrs. Jones' adopted father, her husband and adopted brothers were injured in the attack. Arnold Casey Jones, Jr. is an easily recognizable figure in Manhattan and that of the Bronx, as his father and mother – Arnold, Sr. and Adelaide – ran a popular store when Jones was a child. It is now known as one of the unfortunate victims of violence brought on by the Purple Dragons gang. Jones, who is said to have tried to stop the attack and kidnapping, was struck in the right knee and suffered heavy damage. He is currently in the hospital.

O'Neil Tech, which opened its doors in 2010, is currently a staple in the design and development of high technology tools and programs, notable for its help and donations from several off world factions, like that of the aliens known as Utroms. O'Neil Tech was founded by April O'Neil, Arnold Jones, Jr., and Don Hamato, who is O'Neil's adoptive brother. It is rumored that he and his own brothers were involved in the attack and were injured as well.

* * *

**STILL NO CLUES IN O'NEIL CASE**

_January 21st, 2012 Manhattan New York_

After four days, there still has been no word from those responsible for the kidnapping of April O'Neil-Jones, who has been missing since early this week. O'Neil, who is one of the co-founders of the enterprising O'Neil Tech, was taken from her home in the early morning of Tuesday. Police so far have no particular leads, though they have confirmed that O'Neil's husband, thirty-five year old Arnold Casey Jones, Jr. was injured in the attack as he tried to fight off the kidnappers. Police have also confirmed that O'Neil's adoptive brothers, one of them being Don Hamato, another co-founder of the company, was also injured in the attack.

Police confirmed that O'Neil's adoptive father was killed in the attack.

While Jones rests in the hospital, a spokesperson for O'Neil Tech spoke to reporters in a small press conference earlier this morning. "We hope for the safe return of April to us and to her family," the spokesperson said. When asked if the family had any ideas who could've committed this, they said, "The family does hold some suspicions and when they are physically healed, they would like to further help in the investigation."

* * *

**APRIL O'NEIL FOUND DEAD**

_January 27__th__, 2012 Manhattan, New York_

The body of O'Neil Tech co-founder, April O'Neil-Jones, was found earlier today off a path through Central Park. A couple of teenagers found the body while jogging through the park and quickly notified police. O'Neil had been missing since the 17th, when unknown assailants entered the apartment that she and her husband, co-founder Arnold Casey Jones, Jr., shared with their young son. O'Neil's adoptive family was also in attendance. Her adoptive father was killed in the attack, while her husband and brothers were wounded. It has been confirmed that Jones had been struck in the knee, tearing ligaments and bones. He is still recovering in the hospital.

While the NYPD have yet to come out with a statement, sources say that O'Neil had been beaten severely and raped, though more will be learned as the investigation continues. Spokespeople for the NYPD have stated they have a few suspects in mind, though friends of the Jones' have openly stated that Karai Oroku Saki, a high ranking figure in New York, is behind the attacks. It has long been rumored that Saki, daughter of prominent businessman Saki Oroku, has ties to the criminal organization known as The Foot, who has dealings not only in the city, but that of Japan, in which they are based.

Rumors state that Saki has had dealings with the Jones' in the past, mostly those involving their adoptive brothers. It is not clear if those dealings have been legal or illegal.

A memorial service for O'Neil will probably happen quickly, mentioned a spokesperson for O'Neil Tech. O'Neil is survived by her husband and their three year old son.

* * *

**BOMBSHELL IN O'NEIL CASE**

_March 11__th__, 2012 Manhattan, New York_

Major bombshells have been leaked to the press regarding the O'Neil case, among them the fact that O'Neil herself was pregnant with her second child. April O'Neil, co-founder of the technology giant O'Neil Tech, was kidnapped January 16th from the apartment she shared with her husband, Arnold Jones, Jr., who is also a co-founder of the company, along with Don Hamato, O'Neil's adopted brother. Police confirmed today that along with the O'Neil's, Hamato and his family were in the apartment when the attack began. Hamato's father, who was also adopted O'Neil, was killed in the attacks.

A spokesperson for the NYPD confirmed that all those in the household, excluding several children, were attacked by the unknown assailants. While police have not said what injuries occurred, it is widely known that Arnold Jones' knee was severely damaged in the attack. It has also been said that one of Hamato's relatives lost an arm in the attack.

Speculation has been wild on who the attackers could be. Some have said that rival aliens orchestrated the attack because O'Neil Tech works and uses some of the technology garnered by their friends, the Utrom alien species; others have said that O'Neil's adoptive family were aliens in themselves and groups like the Earth Protection Force are behind the attacks. Family and friends point to Karai Oroku Saki as the culprit. Saki is the daughter of Oroku Saki, a former prominent figure within Manhattan who turned out to be an alien of Utrom origins.

It was in April of 2005 that Saki, who was later discovered to have ties to the criminal organization known as The Foot, held a farewell party for the city, stating he would be going back to his native Japan. During the course of the party, Saki revealed a massive rocket ship which emerged from an underground hanger and tried to leave the planet, along with his daughter. In the aftermath of not only learning of the criminal ties, but that Saki himself was a member of the Utrom alien species. This in itself seemed like a slap to the face, as it was Saki's money and influence that helped rebuild the city after the invasion of the Triceraton, another alien species who had come to Earth looking for a robotic man, late in 2004.

Police have not confirmed nor denied these allegations against Ms. Saki.

* * *

**VERDICT IS GUILTY!**

_July 2__nd__, 2012 Manhattan, New York_

Six months after the kidnapping, rape, and murder of O'Neil Tech co-founder April O'Neil-Jones, a judge presiding the case came back with a guilty verdict of the men charged with the crime. Sora Ito, Kenshin Yamato, Isaac Yar, and Toshiba Kwon were all charged with first degree murder after police received tips that the men were boasting about the crime. After an investigation, police confirmed the men are members of the criminal organization known as The Foot, which also has ties in Japan.

While the verdict was welcomed to the family and friends of the victims, there was some outrage that Karai Oroku Saki, a prominent member of New York society, was not charged as the mastermind of the crime. Rumors have circulated for years, since 2005 when it was discovered that her father, Oroku Saki, was head of The Foot, as well as a member of the alien species known as the Utroms, had taken over the mantle of leader of the criminal organization.

Sources say that Saki had a long standing rivalry with not only the Jones', but with O'Neil's adoptive family as well. No word has been given on what type of rivalry, but most are assured that it has something to with O'Neil Tech, the company founded by both Jones' and a Don Hamato, who has been identified as O'Neil's adopted brother.

The attack took place in the early morning hours of Tuesday, January 17th. From court documents, the four assailants entered through the second story window of the Second Time Around antique shop, which also housed the small Jones apartment. O'Neil's adoptive father, only called 'Mr. Splinterson during the trial, was sleeping in the Jones' bedroom. According to statements, both Jones' had offered him the room when they learned he was getting over what was most likely a cold.

Police stated that Mr. Splinterson tried to fight off his attackers and was killed in the process. Testimony given stated that one of O'Neil's brothers also tried to fight off the attackers and was blinded with some sort of substance; another engaged in a fight and lost an arm. Arnold Casey Jones', the victim's husband, had his knee shattered when he jumped in. There were several children in the apartment that night, including the Jones' three year old son. They were apparently unharmed.

O'Neil's body was found a few days later by a couple of joggers in Central Park. She had been beaten and raped. The coroner's office concluded that O'Neil had been about two months pregnant and had this tragedy not occurred, would have welcomed a little girl to her growing family.

The trial closes an ugly chapter for New York, but doesn't end a torment from the family. "This will never end," stated one of O'Neil's adoptive brothers. "She was our sister. I can't begin to explain how much this whole ordeal is hurting us."

O'Neil was originally from upstate New York, attending NYU and graduating with a degree in mathematics. She then went on to work for Stocktronics, which was then headed by Dr. Baxter Stockman, who would later be charged but not arrested for a string of robberies using one of his inventions. O'Neil then renovated the Second Time Around antique shop, which had originally been run by her father before his death. She was the sole remaining member of the O'Neil family – both of her parents had died, while a sister was killed in an automobile accident and her uncle, Professor Augustus Jones previously succumbed to a heart attack.

Family and friends are mostly tightlipped as to how O'Neil met Arnold Casey Jones, Jr., the man she would later marry, nor how she came to be adopted by Mr. Splinterson and his sons. Stating a wish for privacy, a spokesperson for O'Neil Tech asked that the Jones' histories weren't as important as their legacies. O'Neil Tech, an up and coming technology firm, seems to be a complete family affair – co-founded by both O'Neil, her husband, and her adopted brother Don, OT has now become a leader in technological solutions, thanks to the input and influence of the alien species known as the Utroms.

Many friends and family of the three work within the company. There has been speculation about the role of aliens and 'mutants' from some, especially the Earth Protection Force, who say that OT will be the beginning of the end to Earth companies and jobs held by humans. The controversy started when it was revealed that Don Hamato, one of the co-founders, is a giant mutant turtle. There are also claims that many of the workers at OT are aliens themselves. All three founders have spoken out against the mistreatment and racism towards those not of Earthly origin.

O'Neil is survived by her husband and their son.


	2. Chapter I

* * *

**Chapter I**

* * *

The weather had turned on the planet of Dalaa, making the suns that orbit around the planet combine into one large sunlight, so to speak. This was, of course, unbearable for the majority of those that lived there. Luckily, the planet and its inhabitants had discovered the wondrous virtues of space travel; this was of course also heightened when the planet Earth opened itself up to outer worldly visitors, thanks to the efforts and diplomacy of the great Utrom species.

It was a time such as this that investigator Finney C. Toriop began to plan for his vacation. The alien was getting up in years, just celebrating his one hundred and eleventh birthday and the decades of service for the Dalaan security force was highly decorated. Toriop was a species known as Khom and they had been the first inhabitants on the planet from its beginning. Toriop himself was rather tall, standing at just under six foot one in human terms, with dark grey muscular skin and three separate ridges on the top of his head. Earthlings would describe them as small Mohawks – whatever those were – or corn rolls – again, Finney had no concept of what the Earthlings were talking about – and his ears were pointed, though small. His usual dress was formal, a red tunic over black pants and a grey robe over that, and that dress did not change, no matter the climate he was in.

Being a Khom, his species was used to how the planet was relative in its temperatures. Most did not stray from the planet, despite having new trade and travel options. It was only during 'nak flan' that people would go. Nak Flan is what they would call the 'meeting of the suns', an event where the two suns would meet each other in the sky, becoming one giant ball of heat. Though some of the species evolved for hot weather, Khoms were not. Extreme differences in temperature wrecked their immune systems and there had been several deaths. Finney, in one of those rare cases of temperamental indifference, could withstand the extremes on both ends.

His work as a top investigator had made him famous in a way; most of the planets around Dalaa knew who he was and he had managed to solve many a cases for those looking for help. This meant that his travels took him to many planets experiencing many different climates. For this vacation of his, however, he was going to a place he had never been.

Japan.

He had read about it in the intergalactic book of places to go, though it was an older volume, it outlined interesting places on the planet Earth, which had been newly entered into an intergalactic nation of other non-hostile planets, Dalaa included. Finney had only been to Earth once, following a suspect to the place called Los Angeles, a city in one of 'states' on the western portion of a large land mass called 'North America', also known by inhabitants as 'USA'. Never having traveled outside of his galaxy before now, he had found the place odd and strange, with its large makeup of people and stores and music.

It was a place he didn't think he wanted to travel to again.

But in his research regarding the planet Earth, there were a number of places one could go, all highlighted by the 'countries' in which the location rested in. He was surprised to learn the history of the USA; how they had been settlers from a place called 'England' – which was also in the book – and how following an eventual war, made a small number of little 'states' as they called them into the large land mass he had traveled too. Remarkable! He never would have guessed that. He might just have to take another look at that place. His interests weren't peaked again until he reached the land mass called 'Asia', though in the book it was called something else.

Like the USA, it was made of small countries, which were made into smaller cities. For some reason, Toriop's interests peaked on the place called 'Japan'; he didn't know why, but it seemed so interesting. All of Earth did! At that time, he stated if he got the time, he would go to this Japan. Nearly two years later, he was finally making that decision a reality, packing his bags and making sure he had his trans-galactic ticket in hand. Since the Utroms had gone to the planet Earth, there were several sites in several major cities in which aliens could go to and from the planet and back to their own. In order for this service to work, off world planets needed to get the permission of those in charge to construct transporters. These transports, built to specification by the Utroms themselves, were placed in welcoming arenas – or airports and stations in Earthling speak – so that one had the feeling of traveling.

Finney would be heading to his planet's welcoming area before being transported to Osaka, Japan's third largest city. The inspector didn't want to hit the biggest city yet, that of Tokyo, but he had been given a lot of time off for cracking his last case of intergalactic smugglers, so his plan was to see _all_ of Japan or as much as he could if something came up. Osaka seemed to the place to start first; it had once been known as the 'kitchen of Edo' in the period of Japanese history, being known for its variety and flavorful delicacies. And Finney enjoyed food, there was no doubt, so it seemed reasonable for him to start there first.

The departure from his home to the transporter was uneventful, as was his trip from the transporter via transporter to the Shinioshi Inn, a rather small hotel with ten stories and approximately six rooms to each floor. The transporter was located on the first floor where the check-in desk stood. The inn was moderately decorated in a traditional Japanese style. Finney was entranced by the décor and by the ambiance of the place. "Of all the places to find you," called a voice, pulling the Khom from his thoughts. Finney turned, a small smile at seeing the familiar face.

A smaller alien, one brown in color and with a bit of fur approached him, taking his hand and shaking it. "Tony!" Finney exclaimed, greeting his friend. Anthony McQueen was an alien of extraordinary tenure; while he had an alien heritage, McQueen had been raised in the United States, after being adopted by Earthlings from the state of Arizona, who had found him on his planet, apparently abandoned. Finney had helped him years earlier to discover that his parents had been attacked, thus leaving him an orphan.

"What are you doing here?"

"Vacation," the young alien stated. "You remember my parents, yes? They thought I should have more culture than just the Grand Canyon, so I saved up and decided to come here. And what fortune to have done so!"

"Most fortunately indeed," Finney replied. "I too am on vacation and decided that Japan was a place greatly interesting to me."

"Come!" McQueen ordered, throwing an arm around his friend. "We'll check you in and then I will show you sights of Osaka."

The two walked to the check in desk, being met by a young woman behind the counter and an apparent busboy that stood nearby. Finney took note of the busboy, curious as to how an apparent alien had also gained employment at the inn. From what he had read, the Japanese were still weary of foreigners. The alien boy certainly didn't seem out of place, not directly. He appeared to be in his late teens or early twenties, bluish in color, with medium sized ears on top of his head, which was covered with shaggy black hair. His facial appearance was that like a bird, with the appearance of a large beak.

The woman behind the counter checked Toriop in, onto the eighth floor, in room 457, which was down the hall from Tony's own room of 451. The alien busboy, called Benjiro, nodded at being called over and helping the inspector with his bags up to his room. Toriop went about setting up his room and putting his belongings away. He had told Tony he would meet his friend downstairs afterwards, giving him about thirty minutes to prepare. Coming from his room, he was met with one of his neighbors coming out of room 459, a tall turtloid creature. He was dressed casually, wearing black slacks and a blue dress shirt.

"Hello," he replied, nodding to the Khom. "I wasn't aware anyone was next door to me."

"Just checked in," Finney replied, holding out his hand. "Finney Toriop."

"Leonardo Splinterson," the turtle said, shaking the alien's hand. "I take it you're on vacation here."

"Yes," Toriop nodded. "That obvious?"

Leonardo chuckled. "Most people come to the East to get away from one thing or another," he stated. "Usually it's a vacation."

"And you, Mr. Splinterson?"

"Family business," the turtle replied. "As well as visiting the place of my ancestors."

"You are from Japan?"

"No," Leonardo said. "It is the country of my ancestors. I intend on taking in the sights of those that came before me."

"Well then," Finney said, giving a customary bow. "Do not let me stop you, Mr. Splinterson. I myself am meeting up with someone. I shall see you to the elevator."

The two walked down the hall, headed for the elevator. The hallway was empty, though a door opened as they passed, revealing a young red haired man holding a file folder. He was closing the door to room 460 and made a small glance to the two headed down the hall. There was no other person in the elevator as they headed down, their small talk based on the city of Osaka and of Japan in general. The doors opened, revealing two turtles that stood waiting on the other side. Though they were both polite, nodding and saying a greeting as they stepped in and the inspector and Leonardo stepped out, Finney couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong.

When the doors shut, Finney turned to his turtle companion. "Family members?" he asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"Those two turtles," the inspector said, gesturing towards the elevator. "Were they family of yours? You looked very much alike."

"We get that a lot," Leonardo began. "My species, I mean. It's hard to tell one a part; you see one turtle, you've seen them all. But no, Mr. Toriop, I have never seen those two before today." Looking at his watch, the turtle continued with, "If you will excuse me, I have a previous engagement."

"Of course." The two bowed to each other and Finney watched as the green skinned man walked away from just as Tony came up to him. "Ready?"

Tony nodded, saying, "Have you eaten? Of course not. I say we go to this little place I've found recently. It's like a little coffee shop, with such tasty food, it's great, Fin, really great!" The American alien began to lead his friend out through the lobby, passing three more turtloid figures, though these seemed to be of the royal sort.

"There are a lot of those today," Finney muttered.

"Sorry?"

"Those turtle creatures," the inspector stated. "I was saying there must be a lot of them. That's about six that I've seen so far today. I'm actually surprised; I had read that the Japanese weren't very trusting of foreigners and then to see so many alien species in one hotel."

"Well," Tony said. "Mistrust isn't a Japanese thing; it's a species thing. You can't tell me that even aliens are the most trusting sort, except maybe the Utroms, but you've seen how that's turned out. The whole reason they crashed landed on Earth was because one of their guys turned on them. Hey, that's an idea! Let's go see where the Utroms landed! It's a landmark, you know."

Finney laughed, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "Ah my friend," he chuckled. "It is good to hear your laughter again. I've been buried in so much work, I didn't think I'd ever hear laughter again."

"Well, no worries," Tony assured him. "This is gonna be one hell of a trip!"

* * *

The day had been particularly nice, despite the chill in the air and slight drop in temperature. The two alien friends made their way to some of the sights and sounds of the city they currently were enjoying and of course, enjoyed the food in the area, just as Finney felt he would. They had reappeared back at their hotel around dinner, both deciding that they would probably benefit from taking their meal with the other guests. Being a small hotel, the two didn't expect to see too many people and they were proved correct when entering the dining room and only seeing a handful of people eating or talking.

The two took their seats towards the middle of the room, being able to be in the midst of the small talk that seemed to be going on. "Do you know who your neighbors are?" Finney asked, as they ordered their meal.

"I met them on the way to put my things away," Tony replied. "A royal by the name Roshi or something; blind too, which is odd."

"Oh?"

"Well," the brown alien responded. "It's not like there's a bunch of royalty roaming around in the states; that's more of a Europe thing."

"Europe?"

Tony chuckled. "I'll say those travel guides don't do a good job at explaining the globe," he said. "Europe is the name of the block of countries we're residing in. Anyway, he's next door and I believe his servants are across the way. Husband and wife, I think." Tony glanced around his friend, pointing behind him to a table that sat the three turtles who had checked in as they left. "That's them there. Fairly quiet, but seemed nice. You?"

"Mr. Splinterson is next door to me," Finney replied. "And there's a rather beautiful woman across from him. In fact," Turning, he gestured to a middle aged Japanese woman who sat with the young red headed man that Finney had seen earlier, a few tables away from them. "That's her and either her husband or someone in her charge."

Finney glanced around casually noting that Mr. Splinterson, who was sitting with one of the turtles they had encountered in front of the elevator, glaring at the Japanese woman. The inspector also noted his companion did the same as well. There was obviously more going on with Mr. Splinterson then meets the eye. For now, the two aliens started in on their meals, enjoying the conversation patches that were around them. Being a Khom provided itself to be useful in times when investigating and Toriop certainly used this to his advantage.

He noted the conversation behind him, the one with the royal and his servants. "You think they're all right?" asked the female, who sat next to the younger male.

"I'm sure they're fine," replied a deeper voice, whom Fin attributed to the elder turtle. "You know you worry too much."

"Wonder who I got that from."

"Everything will be fine," the younger male whispered. "Just eat your dinner. You need your vegetables."

Finney could nearly see the sour expression on the female's face. "Don't I get enough of that from Mother?" she retorted.

"Apparently not enough," chuckled the royal.

From the side of them, at the table featuring the two turtles, there seemed to be an argument. "Leave it!" This was harshly whispered by Leonardo, that he knew. "It'll be settled, but you need to wait."

"I hate waiting," groused his companion, with an accent Finney had never heard before.

"I'm well aware."

Fin's listening, as well as his meal, was interrupted when a rather loud disturbance came from the table with the Japanese woman and her red headed friend. She looked rather upset, standing next to her overturned chair, but seemed to be calming down. "You will remove this…object from my sight," she hissed, watching as her man servant swiped up the item in question and hid it from view.

Turning, she quickly marched away to return to her room or where ever she was planning on going, leaving the red head standing and bowing at her retreat. To anyone that saw the whole thing, they would have thought the matter over, but Finney, being the observant inspector that he was could easily see the anger that the assistant displayed within.

"Fiery one," Tony whispered. "Ain't she? Don't let the overt calmness fool you – Asian chicks are quite feisty when they want to be."

"I am still finding my way around the human ways of emotion," Finney chuckled. "Sometimes, you will find that your expressions and words baffle me."

"Believe me, Fin," Tony laughed. "You aren't the only one!"

* * *

Night time within the Shinioshi Inn was a flux of activities as the occupants got ready for their bedtime or to whatever they were planning on doing at that time of night. It wasn't too late in the evening, but late enough for Finney, who had a severe case of inter-dimensional jet lag. His plans for the evening were to learn more about the city and country in which he was in and hopefully drift off to sleep. He and Tony had planned on having breakfast the next day and doing more sightseeing after a good night's rest.

These plans were of course interrupted as the alien detective began getting ready for bed. The short rap of knuckles on the wooden door seemed to be straight and to the point, not insistent enough to startle, but enough to be deemed important. Sighing, the alien grabbed his robe before going over to the door and opening it, revealing the attractive middle aged Japanese woman from dinner earlier. "Yes?"

"You are the inspector from off world, are you not?" she asked, her manner brisk and straight forward.

Finney nodded, slowly. "I am."

"Then I would like a moment of your time," she stated. "If it is not inconvenient for you."

The alien was half a mind to say that, yes, this was an inconvenient time, but something told him that this was the type of woman who had probably never heard the word no in her life time or at the very least, wouldn't take it as an answer. Nodding, he stepped back, allowing her to enter his room. Observing the woman, he took note of her stature – she was medium height, but carried herself as though she was much taller; this was a woman who was of high importance.

Finney noted her long hair put in a bun and her dressings were that of a regal businesswoman, who probably imported all of her wear and belongings. "I am Inspector Finney Toriop of the Dalaa police force," Fin introduced. "You have put me at a bit of a disadvantage, madam. You seem to know more about me than I know about you."

"Then allow me to rectify that situation," the woman replied. "My name is Nagi Sakura. I am a businesswoman from the United States."

"And are you doing business here in Japan?"

"I am here on a…vacation of sorts," she said. "Osaka is a city that I once lived in as child. You could say that, I'm here to once again explore my childhood roots."

"I see," the alien nodded. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of your company at this moment?"

"As a woman in my line of business, Inspector," she began. "It is in my best interests to know about people that I may come in contact with. I had my aide do some checking and in learning that you were staying in this hotel, I thought perhaps I might discuss a business proposal with you."

"What type of business are you in, Miss Nagi?"

Nagi grinned slightly, before tipping her head towards him. "You seem to also be someone who likes to know who he is dealing with," she replied. "The matter of my business is of no concern to you for the moment, Inspector. However, the business in which I come to discuss has nothing to do with that."

"Then let us not 'beat around the bushes' as they say."

"I would like your help in a very urgent matter," the woman replied. "I am afraid my…name has preceded me and…my enemies have found me."

"Do you have many enemies, Miss Nagi?"

"I have my share, Inspector," was the evasive answer. "However, it has become increasingly apparent that despite my own training in…warding off unsuitables, my life is in danger."

"How so?"

"My aide can show you several threatening notes that have come into our possession as of late," Nagi said.

"Do you know who may have sent them?" asked Finney.

"I have some ideas."

"And is there a reason in which you cannot go to the police?"

"There is."

Finney nodded, gravely at her answer. "I am most apologetic on your circumstances, Miss Nagi," he replied. "However I do not think I can be of any help to you, nor would I want to. I am also on vacation and I would like to enjoy it. You understand of course."

"I understand many things, Inspector Toriop," Nagi sneered. "I also understand the power of money, which I have yet to offer you, but rest assured that I am able to pay you handsomely."

Finney shook his head. "Again, Miss Nagi," he replied, politely. "I am uninterested. This is something that perhaps the Japanese authorities would be more appropriate to handle."

"I see." Finney could easily see that he had offended the woman by his refusal, but she couldn't blame him. He was on vacation as well and was trying to avoid work that involved murder or anything like it. She gave him a small nod before leaving the way she had come in. While the exchange was odd, Fin didn't think more of it as he went about getting ready for bed.


	3. Chapter II

A/N: No love for the new fic? :( THanks to those who did the story alerts, though! It's many a year since I've done a straight mystery, so this may be long in coming as I get back into the habit.

* * *

**Chapter II**

* * *

It was around eleven at night when Finney first heard the scream of fright, emulating from down the corridor. Being concerned, he was immediately awake and hurrying to his door when he heard a faint knocking. Opening his own door slightly, Fin peaked out and saw the bellboy – Ben, he thought his name was – standing outside in the corridor and outside of room 460. He waited, watching the young alien stand around nervously, before he heard, "Gomen nasai," come from behind the door. "Akumu."

"It's alright, Miss Nagi," replied the bell boy, receiving a call from his belt. "Pleasant dreams from now on."

With the excitement apparently dying down as the bellboy left, so did Finney, closing his door and heading back to bed. Only fifteen minutes later, the alien inspector was awakened again, this time the sound of what seemed like shuffling. Getting up once again, he opened the door, only to notice what seemed like Ben going down the hall towards the east end elevators. Huffing for losing even a moment's sleep, the inspector shut his door again and went back to bed. Again.

Roughly thirty minutes later, the agitated alien was again up and awake, this time by the loud boisterous sounds from across the hall, almost directly across from his very door. Getting up once more, Fin cracked his door.

"I'm telling you man," said one of the turtle creatures he had seen earlier, in a rather loud voice, Finney was surprised that no one else was awaken from it. "There I am sleeping and someone comes traipsing through my room."

"Was someone in your room, sir?" asked Ben.

"I have no clue!" the turtle complained. "Alls I hear is a loud slam and someone leading a herd of elephants pass my door. I'm telling you, Ben, a turtle's gotta have his beauty sleep. I don't go looking pretty like this by luck alone, but hey…"

"No worries, Mr. Angel," Ben replied. "If it happens again, be sure to let me know."

Sighing in relief, Finney went back to bed, hoping that the rest of the night could be enjoyed in peace.

* * *

The next day, the sun was shining through the window as Finney was roused from his slumber, surprised that he was able to actually feel that he was well rested, after the commotion the night before. Getting dressed, Finney was leaving just as he saw the red haired young man from earlier in the day, as well as the dinner the night before. The inspector wouldn't have thought nothing of it, except that it didn't seem as though any answer was coming forth from the other side of the door the young man was knocking on.

Seeing the bellboy near, they both exchanged a look before Ben knocked on the door as well. "Who are you trying to wake this morning?" Finney asked, walking over to the two men. Both seemed rather surprised at seeing him, but their composure quickly straighten themselves out.

"This is Nagi Sakura's room," Ben replied.

"I've been knocking for some time with no response," the red head answered. "I'm afraid there may be something wrong."

"Do you have a passkey?"

The bellboy nodded quickly, removing it and opening the door. The three stepped into the room, not seeing any type of disturbance until they got closer to the woman's bed. There, lying prone, was Nagi Sakura, who had obviously seen better days and nights than she was currently presented. It was a sight that caused both younger men to gasp. Finney made his way to the body of the woman, keeping the young men behind him and from touching anything.

Her appearance was striking more so in death than in life. Her face was rather bloody, the area of her eyes bearing the brunt of the impact, though a trickle of blood had stopped spreading from the corner of her mouth. "Ben," he whispered. "Is there a doctor within the hotel? I'm going to need his assistance."

Finney had quickly shooed the two younger men from his company, while he waited for them to fetch Tony and the doctor who was staying within the hotel. He had just stayed, looking over the now deceased Nagi Sakura, his eyes playing over the room. He immediately noticed the cup that sat on the bedside table, along with an astray, with a stray piece of paper lay burned within it. Looking over to his right, Fin noticed the slightly opened window and, going over to it, he looked out and noticed the heavy snow that had fallen, but also the prints that had not been completely covered by the recent fall.

Hearing the door open, Finney turned to see both Tony and a stout Japanese man enter, both looking at the body that lay before them. "What the hell?" whispered the American alien.

"I assume you are the doctor that the bellboy has fetched?" Finney asked, walking towards them and holding out a hand. "Inspector Toriop."

"Doctor Julian Chou," the doctor said, shaking the offered hand, though his gaze went back and forth between the alien and the dead woman. "What happened here?"

"That's what we plan on discovering," Finney said. "What can you tell me about the body, Doctor?"

The man went over, observing the evidence that he was currently presented with. "She has been blinded," he murmured. "But for what purpose? To blind her to the sight of her killer?" Turning, the doctor noticed the cup. Reaching for it, he was stopped by Finney's hand and the shaking of his head. Taking a cautious sniff, he said, "It appears to be tea, but I wouldn't be surprised if she may have been drugged."

"The red head that was with her," Finney began, turning to look at Tony. "Please get the bellboy to fetch him and to notify the police." Tony nodded before leaving to do his task.

"Strange," Dr. Chou murmured. "Did you know her?"

"I only met her acquaintance last night," Finney answered. "What seems strange to you, Doctor?"

"Besides the fact that a woman has been murdered in our hotel?" the doctor asked. "On our very floor? Well, besides that, the very fact that she's been murdered is interesting, don't you think? Why was she murdered?"

"That, good doctor, is best left in the hands of the authorities."

Finney lead the doctor out of the room and down the corridor until they came upon not only Tony and the bellboy, but the red head that Finney had seen earlier. "We have a problem," Tony replied, not waiting for the two to greet him. "Last night, a big snow drift settled in; snow's piled up at both the entrance and the back. The manager called for some snow plows, but apparently the whole area has been hit."

"What does that mean?" asked Finney.

"We're snowed in, Mr. Toriop," replied the bellboy. "I'm afraid that…that the authorities won't be able to come until the snow's been removed."

Sharing a knowing look between them, Finney began to shake his head slowly. "Fin…"

"I don't want you to even suggest it."

"What else can we do?" Tony pleaded. "A murder has been committed and there's a murderer somewhere in this hotel."

"I doubt that," Finney replied. "I saw footprints below the windowsill; that suggests that the killer has made a getaway."

"Or it was a means of him entering," countered the doctor.

"Don't you think there's a panic going on?" asked the inspector. "Certainly by now the whole inn knows what's happened."

"That's just it," Tony said. "That Nagi lady rented the whole inn, besides the rooms that were already occupied. We're the only ones here. Please Finney? It'll be like old times. C'mon, you like old times."

"I understand you're a detective of some sort on your home world," the red head replied. "Certainly, isn't it your duty to find _something_ out?"

"I must agree, Inspector," the doctor said. "You do seem to be the only one in authority right now, including Mr. McQueen here. It wouldn't be right to just leave things as they are. It could be hours before help comes to us; it has been known to happen."

The grey alien sighed, knowing that he was beat on the subject. Inwardly, he also had the same questions that the doctor had posed in the dead woman's room. Finney had always enjoyed a good mystery, which was one of the reasons he became involved in police work in the first place. "Alright," he replied. "But this will need to be done by the book of course. Ben, wasn't it?" The bellboy nodded. "I'm going to need the passports for all the guests who are currently here. If you have yet to, please inform them of the situation, as well as our current predicament."

Turning to the red head, he stated, "You spent some time with Miss Nagi, am I correct? What exactly was your relationship with her?"

"I was her secretary," he replied. "If you want to call it that. Alberti Case is the name."

"Mr. Case, how long were you in the employment of Miss Nagi?"

"About a year," Case answered. "Give or take."

"And your duties?"

"Normal stuff," the red head began. "Taking notes and things like that."

"Last night, my companion and I couldn't help but overhear an argument that you seemed to be having with Miss Nagi," Finney replied. "Care to mention what it was about? And why she would want to rent out an entire inn to herself?"

"Certainly," the red head said. "She was taking a sabbatical, if you want to call it that. Recently, she'd been getting these threatening letters in the mail."

"Didn't you find that odd?" Tony asked. "And where exactly was she taking a sabbatical _from_?"

"I was just employed as her gopher boy, Mr. McQueen," Case stated. "However, I always did get the sense she was running away from something. She spent many years in the United States, so it seemed…well, rather odd that she'd have this gung ho attitude about coming to Japan."

"She did mention that this was a place she lived as a child," Finney murmured. "Do you know if she speaks any languages?"

Case nodded. "Japanese, of course," he replied. "And English. No others that I know of."

Finney also nodded, turning to look at the others. "Early in the night, I heard a woman scream," he said. "She apologized when Ben went to check on her. She had apparently awoken due to an 'akumu'."

"A nightmare," both the red head and the doctor said simultaneously.

"You are familiar with the word then, Doctor?"

Chou nodded. "There are of course different dialects among the different counties and cities," he replied.

"Do you have any of these threatening letters, Mr. Case?"

The red head nodded. "I have some in my briefcase, in my room," he replied.

"Please have them ready," Finney said. "I will want to look at them when I call for you again."

"You'll…you'll need me again?"

"Possibly," the inspector said, sending a smile to the young man. "Thank you for your time. Tony, doctor, follow me."

Finney led the requested duo back to the crime scene, closing the door behind him as they entered. "I hope you don't mind if we call on your expertise for a bit longer, Dr. Chou," Finney replied.

"No worries."

The three stood before the deceased again, with the doctor now having the advantage of looking over her wounds more carefully. "There seems to be a dried spot of saliva on her pillow," he noted. Looking to Finney, he gestured towards the victim's head. The inspector gave a nod and the doctor moved the woman's head slowly to show the pool of spit that rested beneath it.

"You mentioned that she may have been poisoned."

"Poisoned?" Tony asked, to which the doctor nodded.

"Her cup," he motioned. "I suspect she was drinking it, unknowing that it was tainted with something."

"Do you have any idea what?" asked the American alien.

The doctor paused, before asking, "Do you smell it?"

Both aliens sniffed the air, smelling a peculiar aroma, but could not place it. "Have either of you heard of potassium cyanide?" he asked, to which both shook their heads. "It's a particular poison, very deadly. Doctors and coroners usually know it's been used because of the smell of bitter almonds. That's what you smell in the air. I can't be certainly, of course. This is where a tox report would come in handy."

"Anything you find is useful, Doctor."

"I still don't understand why she lost so much blood," the doctor muttered. "Can I pull back her bed sheets?"

"Please."

If the sight of the woman's blinded and bloodied face hadn't set off alarm bells for the three, the sight that greeted them when Chou pulled back the sheets more than made up for it. The sheet below her was saturated with blood from her wounds; her right arm was missing and she seemed to be sliced open from stem to stern.

"Dear Lord," the doctor whispered. "Who would want to do this to another human being?"

"That is a question that cannot be answered at this time," Finney replied. "We have a coffee cup that was perhaps filled with a poison; footsteps that lead either to or away from the window; a burned piece of paper in the ashtray; a series of supposed threatening notes to the victim…she had offered me the position of becoming her bodyguard just last night. Perhaps it was an offer I should have taken her up on." The inspector looked around the room. "Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you get the feeling that there are too many clues in this room?"

"Isn't that a good thing?" asked the doctor. "It means we can at least get an idea of why this happened."

"It's all the way things are laid out, Doctor," Finney said, picking up the charred piece of paper.

"Do you think that's one of those threatening letters?" asked Tony.

"Possibly," the inspector said, glaring at it. "Do you have a lighter or a match?"

"I do," the doctor said, handing over a small Zippo lighter. "What are you going to do with it?"

"An effective, but dangerous way of finding out what was written on this piece of paper," he replied. Going into the nearby bathroom, he took one of the cups and brought it back into the bedroom. Taking a few pieces of stray paper, he lit them before placing them in the cup. "Remember what you see," replied the alien. "You'll be the only witnesses." As the papers burned within the cup, Finney delicately placed the burned paper above the opening of the cup.

As the underlying flames began to rise, they illuminated the piece that hung over the entrance, allowing the men to see the partial written words. "R-I-L O-N-E," read Tony, as the paper started to flame out. "What does that mean? Is that a name? The initials of someone?"

"This mystery will need some deeper inspection," Finney murmured. "If what Mr. Case says is true, then the first place we will need to look is at Miss Nagi's passport. He said she had lived in the United States, but she once grew up in Japan. Doctor, you said that Japanese can come in different dialects?"

The doctor nodded. "It depends on the area you live in," he stated. "Some regions have different dialects due to the history of the language and those that settled within the area."

"Does 'gomen nasai' mean anything to you?"

"It generally means 'I'm sorry' in Japanese."

"Would Miss Nagi have said something like that?" asked the inspector.

"Again, it depends on where she's from," the doctor stated. "Some regions would maybe say something else. Why? Is that important?"

"Time will tell, Doctor," Finney replied. "Time will tell."

* * *

There was a ruckus going on when the doctor and two aliens arrived in the dining area. The manager, a slight man of Japanese decent, stood in the middle of the group, trying his best to calm them down. Upon seeing the three, he seemed relieved to turn the matter over to the proper people. He spoke quickly to Chou, who nodded and patted him on the back, leading him out with kind words.

"Thank you all for coming together," Finney said. "I'm sure our kind attendant has already informed you of our present situation."

"So we're really stuck here?" asked one of the turtle creatures.

"Figures," muttered another one.

"Unfortunately," Tony began. "It seems that way. You of course have also heard about…the unfortunate demise of one of the guests."

"We can't sit around here!" cried the first turtle. "Like, what if there's a crazed serial killer or something? You gotta catch this guy!"

"Believe me, Mister…?"

"Angel, Mike Angel."

"Mr. Angel," the inspector corrected. "Mr. McQueen and myself are trained officers of the law. While it would be suitable for us to wait for the proper authorities, circumstances have made it impossible for them to arrive in a timely manner. Mr. McQueen, myself, and the good doctor hope that you will offer us the utmost cooperation in this matter.

"We would like to question those of you that are currently staying within the hotel," he continued. "However, as it is your right, you may refuse. Do note of course, that in refusing to talk with me, you will then need to be approached by the Japanese police once we have found our way…out of this predicament."

"The manager has given us use of the den area to hold our meeting," Tony replied. "We of course request that you all stay within the hotel and within reach. Ben will be asking each of you to meet with us and we'll let him know who we'd like to speak to."

The general consensus within the room seemed to be of cooperation, but Finney could feel an underlining sense of nervousness between the guests. While he wanted to get this over with as quickly as he could, he knew even the most difficult case had the most simplistic of answers; all it needed was a bit of old fashioned police work.

* * *

Making a quick headquarters within his own room, Finney and Tony had gotten down to discovering what the mysterious letters on the piece of paper may be. Tony had thought it was a name in itself, but didn't understand the meaning. As Finney had said, they began by looking over the guests passports, starting with Nagi Sakura.

Though they both were on vacation from their prespective jobs, the two aliens made use of their contacts, especially Tony with his connections to the United States, to find out more about this Nagi Sakura. In searching, the American alien could not find anyone with such a name, nor could he find anyone with the name 'Rilone' that could be associated with Nagi.

Meanwhile, Finney continued to look through the passports. Something kept pulling at him as he went through each – excluding the deceased woman, himself, the doctor, and Tony, there were exactly seven people on the floor with them, all having rooms.

There was Leonardo Splinterson, whom had the room next to Finney; there was an Arnold O'Neil who had the room across and next to Nagi Sakura; next to him was Mike Angel, whom Finney had identified as the man who had complained about someone tromping past his door; there was the royal, a Donatello di Roshi and his two servants, Niccolo di Bardi and Kimiko di Bardi; and last was the secretary, Alberti Case.

While the names of the guests held no special meaning for Finney, their previous locations did. "Tony," he stated. "Here's an interesting fact that may help you."

"What's that?"

"All of our guests are either from Japan or New York."

"So?"

"Don't you find that odd?"

Tony shrugged. "Should I?" he asked, despite a look he received from Fin. "Earth is a big place, man. It's not unheard of people from the same state, even the same city, to come to the same place for a vacation. No big deal, right?"

"Perhaps," Fin murmured. "Though perhaps you may want to narrow your search to New York or Japan. Find if there's been anything recent involving either place or people from there."

The American alien shrugged, but none the less said, "Okay. Not sure where you're going with this." Finney patiently waited while Tony went to phone whoever it was that held information for him; while he did, he took out his small note pad which he began to write out the names of the guests and ultimately, the suspects.

Ten minutes later, Tony returned, looking slightly put out. "Nothing recent, I'm afraid," he replied, taking a seat across from his friend. "But there was a case years ago in New York that my sergeant friend remembered. His dad is one of the detects up there, so he was aware of it when he lived there."

"And the case?"

"The O'Neil case," Tony said. When he saw the look of confusion on Fin's face, he asked, "You never heard about it?"

Finney shook his head, slowly. "O'Neil?" he asked. "As in O'Neil Technology?"

Tony nodded. "She was the founder," he said. "Well, one of them. She was kidnapped and murdered; it was a big to do. It was right around the time the Utroms had been introduced to the Earth people, so aliens weren't standard like we are now, you know?"

"What was her name?" Finney asked. "Do you remember it?"

Tony thought about it for a second, before saying, "It was a month, I remember that. Like June…May…April! That's it! April O'Neil."

"A…" Finney began, waving to Tony to finish.

The American alien looked at his friend like he was mad. Why was he into spelling at the moment? "P…" he started, confused as Finney urged him on. "R…I…" Suddenly, the light came on and Tony understood. "L…space, O N E I L, April O'Neil." Tony was surprised at such a clue, but then his face scrunched in confusion.

"So," he began. "What does that mean?"

"It means," the inspector began. "We may have discovered who Nagi Sakura really is. And why she needed to leave America."


	4. Chapter III

A/N: I've been watching the movie all weekend, so I'm actually making a good headway in the story. Which means for those of awaiting sequels for both YSU and WHOW, there are in the works. In fact, the first few chapters of the WHOW sequel are in progress. Unfortunately, YSU's sequel will need to come first.

Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter III**

* * *

The two alien detectives spent that morning learning more about the events that surrounded the death of April O'Neil and learning who her killer was.

"So," Finney replied, standing and stretching as he did. "This Karai Saki is responsible for her murder?"

Tony also stretched in the chair he sat in. "First, the newspapers always get it wrong. She's Japanese, remember? Last name comes first, yeah? _Oroku_ Karai was the daughter of Oroku Saki, who was in reality an evil Utrom, apparently the one that caused them to crash land here in the first place."

"Tony…" Fin sighed. While he enjoyed his friend's company, he did have a tendency to get off topic sometimes.

"Right," the alien blushed, causing his already dark skin to darken further. "No, she didn't kill O'Neil directly, but that was the general consensus at the time. They caught the guys that did, but the police could never pin that she was the mastermind. By the time evidence that _could_ be used came forth, from one of the killers, she was long gone."

"She had a child?" asked Fin. "Miss O'Neil, I mean."

"Yeah," Tony sighed. "A little kid. That's how the tragedy happened."

"Tragedy?"

"Oroku Karai," he spat. "Had she ever been found, had a lot to answer for. Nevermind the rumors that she was the leader of this criminal group in New York; in regards to the O'Neil case – her goons killed not only April O'Neil, but her adoptive father, too. It was later learned that O'Neil was pregnant. Her husband, who had his knee shattered in that attack, was so consumed by grief, he hung himself."

Finney tisked sadly. "And the child?" he asked. "What happened to it?"

"One of his godfathers got custody of him, I think."

"One of?"

"It was never stated," Tony replied. "The whole family was always tightlipped, but rumor had it the kid had at least two sets of godparents. Not unusual, though it was so secretive cause everyone thought he was going to be the heir to O'Neil Tech."

Finney stood and thought. "He must be running it," he murmured. "O'Neil Tech has been going for quite some time. Wasn't there a fifteenth anniversary some years ago?"

"Sounds about right," Tony began. "I don't remember there being TV coverage, but I think they had dedicated it to both O'Neil and her late husband. I think one of the founders officially gave the company to the kid."

"There was another founder?"

"Three, if I remember correctly."

"Try to jog your memory," he said, patting his friend on the shoulder. "For now, let's go find out what our guests may have noticed or seen."

The two headed down to the sitting area, which had been rearranged so that the guests may be questioned in a somewhat friendly atmosphere. The two immediately saw the bellboy Ben as he continued to straighten the room, as well as Dr. Chou, who sat in a chair waiting for them.

"Ah, Ben," Finney replied, nodding to the young alien boy. "Thank you very much for getting this arranged for us." The boy smiled, in acceptance. Handing him a slip of notebook paper, Finney asked, "Could you have the guests see me in this order? All except the King and his servants; I'll question them in their quarters, as it would be a more appropriate venue."

"Certainly," Ben said, taking the paper and beginning to head out.

"As long as you're here, Ben," Finney said, taking a seat. "You don't mind if we question you first?"

Ben stopped in his tracks before turning around slowly. "Of course not."

Opening the young man's passport, he read, "It says your full name is Benjiro Mou. Are you of Japanese decent?"

"No sir," the bellboy replied. "As you can see, I'm of Roshean heritage. I was born off world, on the planet Onde."

"An interesting name for one so young."

"It means, 'enjoy peace'," Ben said. "My mother enjoys the Japanese culture. It comes in handy with my father."

"He is of Japanese decent?" Tony asked.

Ben chuckled. "No," he said. "His father was though. However, my dad takes the honor very seriously."

"That would explain your knowledge of the language then," Finney said. "I noticed last night when you attended to Miss Nagi that you had understood her distress. Do you speak Japanese, Ben?"

"A bit," the bellboy replied, a bit hesitantly for Finney's tastes. "You don't grow up in a semi-traditional Japanese home and not understand a few words."

"Do you know where your grandfather was from?" Finney asked. "The area of Japan, I mean."

"Tokyo," Ben answered. "Why?"

"Just satisfying my own curiosity," the inspector smiled. "But that does remind me. While you were answering Miss Nagi, I believe you got a call from someone else. Who was the second person to call?"

"It was Mr. Splinterson," Ben said. "He was requesting some tea."

"And did you see anyone outside their rooms?"

The bellboy shook his head. "I kept a pretty close eye on the floor," he said. "Seeing as you're the only guests. Mr. Angel and Mr. O'Neal spoke for a time, but that was around eleven, and I didn't see either leave until after I saw to Miss Nagi and Mr. Splinterson."

"Neither of them left their compartments after?"

"No, sir."

"Did anyone else call for your assistance?"

"Just King Roshi," he replied. "He needed one of his aides, so I fetched Niccolo for him."

"When was that?"

"About ten till midnight, sir," Ben replied. "After I saw to an issue with Mr. Angel."

"Did you take the east elevators after you left?" Finney asked.

"Sir?"

"I saw someone go past, headed towards the elevators down from my room," Fin explained. "I thought perhaps it was you."

Ben shook his head. "No sir," he said. "After I checked on Miss Nagi, I got the ring for Mr. Splinterson. That was about eleven, as you know. I went down to get him his tea and I stayed and talked to him for some time. In fact, I didn't leave his room until about eleven thirty, which was when I saw Mr. O'Neal leave Mr. Angel's room. Then fifteen minutes later, I got the call to check Mr. Angel."

"I see. Thank you, Ben," Finney replied. "Now, if you would kindly have Mr. Case come down to see us, I'd appreciate it."

"Certainly."

It didn't take long for Alberti Case to show up, apparently just as eager to find out what the two aliens had come up with. Case was a rather tall man, standing a little under Finney's own six feet, with short red hair and piercing blue eyes. He seemed rather young to be in the employ of such a powerful woman, certainly not over the age of twenty-five and he was dressed in business attire, consisting of dress slacks, button down shirt, and a sports coat.

"Mr. Case," Finney said, as the young red head entered. "You may be surprised to hear that Mr. McQueen and I have learned the true identity of your late employer."

"Oh?" Case reacted. "So, my thoughts about her were correct then? That…that she was running from some sort of trouble?"

"The highest sort of trouble," Tony mentioned. "You ever hear of the O'Neil case? It was probably before your time."

"As in April O'Neil?"

"You knew her?" asked Fin.

"Only by name, of course," the young man answered. "I have a friend who interned at O'Neil Tech for the summer. What does that have to do…?"

"Your employer was not Nagi Sakura as she said," Finney replied. "Her true name was Oroku Karai."

"The head of the Foot."

"You've heard about them?" asked Dr. Chou.

"You don't live in New York and not know about the Foot Clan."

"I noticed that," the inspector said, picking up the red head's passport. "Is New York where you became employed by Miss Oroku?"

"That's right," Case said. "Though I had no idea of who she really was. If I had, I wouldn't have bothered applying for the position."

"You feel strongly on the matter?"

"As I said," Case replied, a bit more calmly than his earlier outburst. "I have a friend who worked at OT for an internship. It was right around the time of their fifteenth anniversary; fifteen years in business that the founders couldn't truly enjoy. He invited me to their party. It wasn't so much a party as it was a wake.

"It's rather hard to celebrate a milestone such as it was when two of the founding members are dead," the red head continued. "Especially in the manner they died. The…family of course, was distraught, but managed to carry on, if not for the sake of the current owner."

"Do you know who that is?" Fin asked. "My acquaintance told me that the entire estate was to go to the surviving child. Were you able to meet him at this function?"

"That's true," Case nodded. "About the child's inheritance, I mean, though I'm sure receiving a company that your parents and uncle worked so hard to get up and running is nothing compared with having your parents there to enjoy the moment."

"You speak from experience, Mr. Case?" Chou asked, curiously.

"If you mean am I an orphan, Doctor, than in the technical sense, the answer is yes," the young man replied.

"Technical sense?" asked Fin.

"In the literal terms," Case continued. "I was looked after by family friends, who gave me the love and support that I would've gotten from my parents."

"What happened to them?" Tony asked, gently.

"They…" Case began, before clearing his throat. "They were killed in a car accident, along with my sister."

"Most unfortunate," Finney whispered. "And it is with my deepest regrets that we should have reminded you of such pain. For the moment, let us speak of happier things. On the night of the murder, where were you?"

"With Na…um…I guess it's Oroku, isn't it?" the red head chuckled. "I was with her until about ten thirty; she had me writing out some dictation she needed before the night was over."

"What was it about?" asked Tony.

"Business related," Case stated. "One of the vases she ordered came in chipped before we left, so I needed to dispatch a telegram that it needed to be sent back. I was going to go today, but well…anyway, after that, I went to my room and went right to sleep. I didn't wake up until early this morning."

"Did you notice anything unusual?" Fin asked. "With Oroku I mean."

Case shook his head. "Did she normally drink before going to bed?" asked Chou.

"Yes," the red head nodded. "She always had a cup of tea before heading to bed. I requested it and Ben brought it up to her at about, I guess ten. And like I said, after business was concluded I went to bed. Well, I was awakened by loudmouth Angel around midnight."

Finney chuckled. "I'm glad to see that I was not the only one who could hear him."

Case shook his head. "You missed him at dinner," he sneered. "You couldn't get him to shut up even if you offered him money. I sat behind him, waiting for Oroku to show up, and all he did as yammer away."

"Do you know who his dinner companion was?"

"The Italian," he stated. "O'Neal." Seeing the looks on their faces, he chuckled. "Odd, isn't it? Irish last name, yet he's Italian. Well, I think he's descended from an Italian line. Strong accent though, bad temper."

"Thank you, Mr. Case," Finney said, shaking the man's hand. "You've been most cooperative."

"Uh…" the young man started. "I hate to bother, but…out of…idle curiosity, how exactly did you find out who Nagi really was?"

"There was a scrap of paper that leant to our discovery."

"I see," Case murmured. "Oh! I…brought those letters, in case you wanted to see them."

"No thank you, Mr. Case," Finney replied, waving the young man off. "I don't believe we'll need to see them, though I suggest you hold on to them in case the Japanese police have need of their use."

Case stood momentarily before he turned and left, passing Ben as he did and sharing a look with the young alien. He passed by the next guest, Leonardo Splinterson.

"Ah," Finney called, seeing the turtle standing at the entranceway and beckoning him in. "Mr. Splinterson, I don't believe you've met Mr. McQueen nor Dr. Chou." The turtle bowed to both as he was introduced. "As I stated, they will be helping with this inquest. This is all the questioning is for, rest assured. Please sit."

The turtle bowed to his host before taking the seat across from him. "I noted from your passport that you are a citizen of the United States and that of New York," Finney replied. "How long have you lived there?"

"All my life," Splinterson answered. "You could say I was born and raised there."

"I must admit, Mr. Splinterson," the inspector began. "In all of my travels, I have met many an alien species, but I have never come across one so unique as yourself, if you don't mind my saying."

"No mind," the turtle smiled. "I…am a special case. I'm sure you gentlemen have heard of the Utroms." When he got nods of acknowledgement, he continued with, "Well, you could say I am one of their creations."

"Remarkable," Chou breathed, in awe.

"Indeed," Finney said. "So then the other turtles here are also products of the Utroms?"

"I can't say," Splinterson stated. "As I have no idea. I do know that there is a dimension or other world where there are others like myself, who have no alien intervention what so ever. I can only say that I've never seen them before."

"Speaking of which," Fin remarked. "I couldn't help but over hear your conversation with one. You mentioned that he needed to 'leave it'. What exactly were you referring to?"

"If you mean my conversation with Mr. O'Neal, that's very simple," the turtle replied. "I'm not sure what exactly had happened, but he appeared to know Miss Nagi and I don't believe their previous meeting had gone over well. He mentioned that he had evidence that would hopefully bring light to some nefarious deed that she had done."

"Did you know Miss Nagi?" asked Tony.

"I'd never seen her before."

"So then if I were to say the name Oroku Karai, you would not know it either."

"Oh I know the name of Oroku Karai," Splinterson hissed. "And that of her father, Oroku Saki."

"Then you would be surprised to learn that Nagi was in fact Oroku Karai."

"I am," the turtle whispered. "Though if you seek to see some sympathy in regards to her death, you would be mistaken."

"Did you know Oroku Karai then?" asked Finney.

"If you live in New York," Splinterson smirked. "You've heard of them both. I didn't know Karai, but I know of her _deeds_ and those of her father. Do you know how many people have been hurt by her or her father? I heard she had her own husband killed because he dared to ask for a divorce, which you may or may not know, is a very rare thing in traditional Japanese culture."

"You mentioned to me that you were here to learn more about your ancestors," Finney stated. "If you are an Utrom creation, you couldn't possibly…"

"Have any ancestors?" the turtle finished. "You forget, Mr. Toriop, that the Utroms lived in Japan for centuries before needing to relocate. In that sense, there are many things to be learned from their experiences alone."

"Quite right," Finney replied. "But as fascinating as this is, we are getting off topic. On the night of the murder, where were you located?"

"I was in my room, mostly," the turtle replied. "I tend to go to bed early, in order to get an early start of the day. That's why I wasn't surprised with the announcement that we were snowed in. I was up around five this morning, watching the snow fall. But I digress; I had dinner than went back to my room, where a read for a few hours. Around eleven, I requested a cup of tea and I'm sorry to say, took Benji away from his duties for about thirty minutes. Then I went to bed."

"Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?" asked Tony.

"Other than a customary outburst from Mr. Angel around midnight, nothing."

"I've heard that from the other guests," Fin mentioned. "Before my arrival, how long had you been staying in the hotel?"

"Only a day," Splinterson replied. "However, one day with Mr. Angel is more than enough.


	5. Chapter IV

* * *

**Chapter IV**

* * *

The three examiners sat within their chairs, awaiting the next person for them to question. Things, while seemingly straightforward, didn't seem that way to Finney. Something seemed off, but he didn't know what it could possibly be. "Doctor," he asked. "Did you figure out a time of death?"

"I would guess sometime between the hours of eleven at night and probably one in the morning," the doctor informed him. "However, if my guess of cyanide is correct, the victim should have already been dead by the time her more serious wounds were inflicted."

"Finney," Tony said. "If that's true, none of the guests could possibly have committed the murder. So far, they have alibis with each other."

"There is that attendant you said you saw," the doctor replied, mentioning the person Finney had seen just after eleven.

"Why didn't you ask Ben if there was another attendant within the hotel?" asked Tony.

"I didn't feel that I needed to," the inspector murmured. "Ultimately, if we discover that an outside force is responsible for the murder, it would no doubt be known that the person I saw was an apparent assassin."

Both Tony and the doctor looked at the Khom. "Then why are we questioning the guests?" Tony asked. "If you know who the killer is?"

The alien inspector looked at his friend. "Tony," he stressed. "You should know that what seems to be the answer is never quite clearly the answer." He chuckled slightly at the confused looks he received as an answer. "Who's next?"

Looking up, Tony groaned, "It's Angel." That announcement caused the other two to also groaned slightly, as they could hear the boisterous turtle coming towards them.

"So the killer is one of us?" the turtle was asking Ben, who was walking with him into the room.

"That hasn't be stated as of yet, Mr. Angel."

"Mr. Angel," Finney announced, gaining the attention of the turtle. "This is merely an informal questioning, which I hope to keep my questions short, in which I hope that you will also keep your answers to the point."

Taken aback by the briskness, the turtle none the less smirked before taking a seat. "Sure, dudes," he said. "Start away."

Toriop took note of this…strange turtle creature. While he shared some similarities with that of Mr. Splinterson, however he did seem slighter shorter; what did strike Finney was the fact that the turtle was missing his left arm.

"Mr. Angel," he began. "You have no doubt by now have heard that the true identy of the deceased was that of Oroku Karai."

"Yeah, I heard," the turtle growled. "Little b…"

"I assume from your reaction that it would be pointless to ask if you had heard of the name."

"Of course I've heard of her!" Angel exclaimed. "You don't…"

"Yes, yes," the inspector replied, interrupting what he could tell was going to be a long rant. "As some of the other guests have mentioned,

anyone living in New York has heard of the Orokus. Your full name, as noted here, is Michael Yoshi Angel, an unusal middle name, could you care to explain its nature?"

"I'm named after my grandfather."

"The name Michael or the name Yoshi?"

"Yoshi."

"You'll forgive me for asking," Finney said. "But I couldn't help but notice the loss of your left arm. Might I inquire what injury did you sustain to result in its loss?"

"Training exercise gone wrong," the turtle replied, his happy go lucky demeanor suddenly becoming cold.

"You were in the service?" Tony asked.

"I would've been," Angel smirked. "If uh…I had two arms."

"Might I ask what it is that you do, Mr. Angel?" asked Chou.

"I'm a writer."

"On the night of the murder, Mr. Angel," Finney went forward. "You mentioned to Ben that you had heard a loud noise outside your room."

"Right," Angel said. "See, I was up…"

"Yes, yes," Tony said, trying to get the turtle back on track, or rather the shortest track possible. "We know all about the incident you told the bellboy."

"No you don't."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You don't know what I found outside my room this morning," Angel replied, smugly. Reaching in a pants pocket, he pulled out a rather small button, but one that Tony recognized.

"Oh no," Tony murmured. "This looks like the button of an attendant jacket."

"Doctor, if you would kindly go ask Ben if he's missing a button from his uniform."

The good doctor nodded, taking the button from the turtle and heading out to find the bellboy. "Thank you, Mr. Angel," Finney said. "You have been most helpful."

* * *

Finney and Tony made their way upstairs to the room that housed the royal. The inspector had not been surprised to learn that the bellboy Ben had all of his buttons on his person and none were missing.

From his passport, Finney was only able to tell that this next guest was of royal blood and therefore needed to be addressed in such as to not be disrespectful. Arriving, the two were greeted by a younger turtle, who appeared to be much too young to be the ruler of an entire nation.

"You must be Niccolo," Fin gathered, shaking the turtle's hand as he held the door open for them.

"That's correct," he said, nodding to them both. He closed the door behind them and began to lead him to where the king presently sat. A young female turtle stood at his side, with shoulder length raven colored hair tied in a ponytail.

The king himself sat in one of the reading chairs, his dress casual in its attire would never suggest that he was the current leader of a nation. As the turtle lounged in his chair, Finney noted the small dark glasses that covered his eyes.

"The great Toriop," the elder turtle replied. "I have read of some of your cases. Do I have the pleasure of being a suspect in this murder investigation?"

"I'm afraid that my name has preceded me," the inspector chuckled. "I'm sorry to say, your highness, that until today, I had not heard your name in regards to official service here in Japan."

"That's because I do not rule here in Japan," chuckled the king. "The world I currently live in is one of another dimension, if you will. My wife is of royal blood. Classic story – boy falls in love with beautiful princess, beautiful princess kindly falls in love with boy, and they go on to live happily ever after."

"Good, good," Finney nodded. "You of course hold a diplomatic passport, which grants you the right to refuse to answer my questions today."

"Under the circumstances, Inspector," the king replied. "I and my servants waived that right."

"You are too kind," Fin said, taking a seat across from the royal. "I noted on your passport that you are listed as Donatello di Roshi of Edo. Is Roshi your given name or did you take your wife's name?"

The royal hesitated for a moment before saying, "For the purposes of ruling along with my wife, in the stead of her late father, I decided to take her name."

"Might I inquire what your surname is?"

"Hamato."

"As in Hamato Donatello, co-founder of O'Neil Tech?"

Tony turned to look at his friend. "How did you know that?"

A slight smile filtered across the lips of the turtle. "You're good," he smirked. "Yes, Inspector. I am one of the co-founders of O'Neil Tech."

"Then it is pointless to ask whether you knew the O'Neils."

"Jones, Inspector," the king replied. "O'Neil was April's maiden name. Her married name was Jones."

"Duly noted," the inspector said. "It would also be pointless to ask if you have heard the name Oroku Karai."

"Nor would it be appropriate to ask if I thought she was involved with April's murder," the turtle murmured. "Because the answer is obvious; of course she was involved."

"Then we will not speak of that," the inspector said. "Instead, if I may tax your memory and your patience for a bit longer? As a co-founder of O'Neil Tech, certainly you would have known the aftermath of…such a horrible event."

"Aftermath?"

"Come now, your highness," Finney huffed. "As a co-founder of the company and an apparent close friend of the Jones', certainly you would be familiar with their family structure. Did Mrs. Jones' not grant parentage in case of her death to two sets of godparents?"

"She did."

"Do you know their names?"

"Unfortunately, no," he said. "I only knew that she had done so when her son was born. I wasn't privy to their names."

"Didn't she also have several adoptive brothers?"

"I believe she did."

"And an adoptive father?"

"I would guess that."

"Guess, Mr. Hamato?"

"What else would you like me to do, Inspector?"

Finney smirked. "Forgive me for my rudeness, your highness," he said. "Being unfamiliar with that case, I like to learn as much as about it as possible. You can understand."

"Of course."

"I hate to also ask," he continued. "But Mr. McQueen had noted that in speaking with you, you are obviously blind. May I ask how that happened?"

Donatello chuckled. "In a previous life," he began. "I was once an inventor of many things. I enjoyed science in all aspects. Let's just say there's a reason they tell you to wear safety goggles."

"An experiment gone wrong?" Finney asked, to which the turtle nodded. "How unfortunate. I take you no longer can enjoy it as you once did."

"I have my apprentices," the king said. "I take joy in knowing they are learning as much as they can and that…I share a small part in that."

"One last question," the inspector whispered. "What was the name of April O'Neil's husband?"

The room grew silent before Niccolo choked out, "Casey. Casey Jones."

"Nick," the royal said. "Would you fetch me a couple of aspirins? Kim, if you wouldn't mind, I'd love a cup of coffee right now."

"That's your sixth," the young turtle huffed.

"Be a dear, please."

The two servants nodded, before going out to their king's bidding. The two detectives also stood, with Finney saying, "Thank you, your highness, for your considerable time and patience in this matter."

They both nodded their goodbyes before heading out. "What do you think?" Tony asked, walking along with his friend away from the door.

"I think this case goes much deeper than we are lead to believe," Finney replied.

"Don't you think we should question those servants?"

"I don't think we'll need to do that," the inspector murmured. "Gather the doctor and we'll meet in the room of the victim. There's something I want to go over."


	6. Chapter V

* * *

**Chapter VI**

* * *

The three investigators were once more assembled in the room of the deceased Oroku Karai. Her body had been covered once again by her sheets and the doctor and American alien were interested as to why Finney had called them back within the room.

"You'll both recall," the inspector began. "That when we were here earlier, I made the comment that there were various clues within this room."

Both nodded. Fin then went over to the window, beckoning both over, and pointing downwards to the footsteps that were in the snow. "You'll notice the footprints in the snow," he motioned.

"You already told us about that," the doctor complained. "We've already established that those are the tracks the killer made to get in."

"If that's true, Doctor," Finney replied. "Why then is there only one set of footprints? Given your theory, if the killer thus came in through the window, then there would be footprints leading towards _and_ away from the window."

"Well," Tony began, slowly. "What if he came in through the window, then left by the way you saw that mysterious attendant?"

"If _that_ is true, my friend," Finney whispered. "Why then is there a large patch of snow that has been removed?" Motioning to the windowsill, there was a square patch of window that had not been covered with snow. "Possibly, this is where he sat, perhaps observing the victim before he struck or perhaps this was how he escaped; perhaps he sat here contemplating whether he should jump or not."

Coming to a stop, the inspector looked at his friend. "What time did the manager notice that there had been a large snow drift?"

Neither the doctor nor the American alien could answer. "Find out for me, will you?" he asked, nodding to his friend. "Doctor," he started. "If I may further borrow your medical knowledge?"

"Of course."

"You mentioned that you suspected the victim had been poisoned with potassium cyanide."

"That's my best guess."

"What would you need to be sure?"

The doctor shrugged. "A chem. set, probably."

"You may want to ask the good king Roshi if he might have one with him."

"Fin?" asked Tony.

"Go speak with the manager," the inspector said. "Then ask one of the king's servants if he has a spare chemistry set with him and if he would allow us the use of it." The American alien shrugged, before heading out. "Doctor," he continued, walking over to the bed where the body lay. "Could the wounds that were inflicted have happened while the victim was alive?"

Chou looked over the body, nodding slowly as he saw the amount of blood that the victim had lost. Walking to the right side, he looked at the severed arm of Oroku. "If she was drugged," he murmured. "It could be possible, only if she was kept alive by some other means. When I think about it, if you clear away the blood, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a needle mark on her arm."

Looking up at the inspector, Chou asked, "Why would someone want to have her alive while they…they did _this_ to her? I know we've learned who she truly is, but…"

"Why indeed, Doctor," Finney whispered. "Doctor, might I tax your knowledge of the Japanese language further?"

"Sure."

"You mentioned that there are different dialects of the language," Fin replied. "Where would the more standard version of the language be heard?"

"Well," the doctor said, thoughtfully and stroking his chin. "I would imagine the most familiar would be in more prominent cities; you know, the ones that do a lot of business outside the country."

"Somewhere like Tokyo, perhaps."

"Certainly."

Finney nodded, knowingly. "What is your guess to this case, Dr. Chou?"

The doctor motioned towards the window. "It seems clear to me, Inspector," he said. "The attendant you saw was the obvious murderer. He came in through the window and murdered her, before escaping out through the seemingly unnoticed guise of a hotel worker."

"How do you explain her being poisoned?"

"Hmmm…" the doctor murmured. "He's working with one of the guests. So far, all of them had known about the victim's true identity or they knew about the O'Neil woman and her murder."

"So what was the motive, if any?"

Chou opened his mouth, but closed it quickly. "I haven't gotten that far yet," he admitted, causing Finney to smile at him. The two turned when the door opened, revealing Tony coming in with a small box in his hands.

"It was difficult," he was panting. "But the girl, Kim, lent me the use of her personal set. As for the manager, he said he'd known about the snow fall late last night, when reports came in that it would be coming down. He said by midnight, he couldn't open the back door."

Handing the set over to Chou, the brown skinned alien gave a small smile to his friend. "I went ahead and asked him how many people he had working in the hotel," he said. "Including the manager, only five employees are in the hotel with us, on the account that Nagi had rented the whole place. Or rather, Case rented it."

"Case?"

"Manager said that it was Case who rented the place out," Tony continued. "On request by Nagi. But because he already had people here, he couldn't actually close it down, so he just kept up a light staff."

"He said there were guests already here?" Tony nodded. "Who?"

"There was one couple that checked out before we got here," he stated. "The other was Arnold O'Neal."

"It seems the good doctor may have something with his theory after all."

* * *

Alberti Case was indeed surprised to open his hotel room door and see both Finney and Tony on the other side. Ushering them in, he asked, "Did you want to see those letters after all?"

"In a moment," Finney replied. "It has come to my attention, Mr. Case, that it was you that rented out this hotel for Miss Oroku."

Case nodded. "That's right."

"Was there a reason for her to be in a hotel all by herself?" asked Fin. "And a reason in which you did not bother to tell us this?"

The young man shrugged. "I didn't think it be all that helpful, really," he admitted. "I'm sorry if you thought I was holding something back. That wasn't the case, Inspector, I assure you." Fin raised a hand to stop the young man's rambling. "As for her reasons," he continued. "Well, I did say she was receiving threatening letters, didn't I? Having a hotel by herself assured her that she could…conduct any sort of business without prying eyes and then be able to note who was around her."

"Was she the kind of woman who would normally have bodyguards?"

The red head nodded. "Of course," he said. "Knowing her true identity almost assures that fact, doesn't it?"

"Yes, Mr. Case," the inspector said, smiling widely. "It most certainly does. Regarding these letters the deceased was receiving, how long had they been coming?"

"Uh…" Case thought. "Probably a little after I had signed on under her employment."

"Do you know how many she received?"

"Not really," he stated. "The ones that she allowed me to look at or ones that I brought in to her, not knowing what they were of course, those numbered about seven to ten, to give an estimate. But I wasn't set up within her home; I was aware that she had gotten some delivered to her."

"How did you know?"

"In speaking with her guards," he replied. "I know that she usually disposed of them, how I'm not sure, though I'd guess burning them or some other means."

"Why do you think she burned them?" asked Tony.

"Well," Case replied. "She was very traditional, wasn't she? Fire has a great importance in many cultures; it releases the spirit or demons that may have been encountered."

"Speaking of which," Finney began. "Did you happen to know which of part of Japan Oroku Karai was from?"

"She never said," the young man shrugged. "I had once thought she was either from here or Okinawa."

"Why is that?"

"Those were her choices of where to come."

Finney nodded, signaling to Tony that they were to leave. "Arigato, Mr. Case," he replied. "Oyasumi nasai."

"Kashikomari mashita," Case responded, before his face went slack. Finney again smiled at the young man, before leaving with his friend.

"What was that about?" Tony asked. "When did you learn Japanese?"

"I asked the doctor for a quick lesson," he said, heading down the hall until they stopped at the door to Mr. Splinterson's room. Knocking on the door, Finney turned to look at Tony. "I have a feeling that things will come together soon. Do you not feel it?"

"Man, I'm completely confused."

The door opened, revealing a surprised Splinterson, who hadn't expected to see the two investigators at his door. "Hello."

"A quick question, if you will," the inspector said. "What part of Japan was your father from?"

"Tokyo," the turtle replied, blinking in surprise. "Why do you ask?"

"Remember, Mr. Splinterson," the alien chuckled. "I am also on vacation. Can I not indulge myself in learning about others through their ancestors?"

"No, of course not," Splinterson chuckled. "I'm sorry for inferring otherwise. Was…was that all?"

Fin nodded. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Splinterson," he said. "You've been most helpful."

The turtle nodded, before he closed his door. Tony turned on his friend. "Mind telling me what's going on?" he asked in a huff. "You seem to have the answers to this whole thing."

"Not quite yet, my friend," Finney murmured. "To learn the whole story, I will need your American contact's knowledge. I also wish to speak to Niccolo and his wife, whom I'm sure have knowledge we have yet learned. I will also need to speak with Mr. O'Neal."

"Okay," Tony started, still confused.

"Don't worry, Tony," the inspector said, patting his friend on the shoulder. "You are correct that the pieces of this puzzle are coming together. Once you've gathered what you can and we have spoken to those last three, I will be able to present the solution to this mystery. For now, I'm going to speak to the royal servants."

* * *

It had been an easy thing of finding the king's servants by themselves. Finney found the younger turtle, Niccolo, in his shared quarters, though he didn't see the young female with him. "You'll forgive the intrusion, Niccolo," Finney replied, walking in as the turtle held the door open.

"I couldn't help but notice that you seemed rather moved when mentioning April O'Neil's husband."

"I've met him on occasion," the turtle mentioned. "He was a very nice man."

"And how did you meet, Mr. Jones, was it?" Noting the hesitancy from the young turtle, Finney continued on with, "Surely, as a servant to the king, you must have come in contact with Mr. Jones. Unless of course you are no mere servant. You take after him, you know. The eyes, specifically."

Nick sighed, before grinning slightly. "He keeps telling me I look like my mother," he said. "You're correct, Inspector; I am not just the king's servant. I'm his son."

"And the young woman with you?" Fin asked. "Your wife?"

"Sister."

"Ah," the inspector nodded. "Back to my question…"

"You've already discovered, Inspector," Nick began. "That my father is one of the co-founders of O'Neil Tech; therefore as his son, I had on the occasion the opportunity to see and meet with Casey."

"What can you tell me about him?"

Nick's face and demeanor softened. "He was a great man," he whispered. "He certainly didn't deserve what happened, didn't need to be driven to hang himself in his bedroom. He was very nice to me when he saw me." He gave a sad smile. "Used to throw me up in the air and catch me. Would freak my mother out because she thought I'd hit the ceiling fan and be chopped to bits."

"He seemed a man to be respected," Fin commented. "Perhaps you can aide your father in his memory."

"If you're asking if I knew the Jones family," the turtle started. "Then you're mistaken, Inspector. And even if I did, it was over fifteen years ago. I was barely a toddler."

Fin nodded. "Of course," he said. "Thank you, Niccolo. I have no doubt that you are a loyal friend, just as you are also loyal to your father and to your uncles as well. I'll see myself out."

The inspector left the room and nearly collided with Ben, who was holding something in his arms. "I've been looking everywhere for you, sir," he said, slightly out of breath. Holding up his arm, he said, "I thought you might find this to be important."

* * *

**TRANSLATION -**

Finney: Thank you, Mr. Case; Good night.

Case: Certainly.


	7. Chapter VI

A/N: The line "why do you bring these daggers from the plate?" is originally from Shakesphere's MacBeth (which is a good read and movie depending which one you see); this line was important in the movie version of Orient Express, so using it is a homage to that. I obviously don't MacBeth.

* * *

**Chapter VII**

* * *

Finney took the offending object from the bellboy and held out it in front of him. It was a uniform, near identical to the one that Ben himself wore, but it was too big to seen on the young alien man. Looking at the jacket, Fin noted the missing button; putting his hand in one of the pockets, he found a passkey.

"Where did you find this?" he whispered.

"Kim and I," he began. "That is to say, Kimiko the servant and I found it stuffed downstairs in the dining area."

"How did you find it in the dining area?"

"She was taking lunch up to King Roshi," replied Ben. "She had dropped some silverware, so I offered to get her another set. While we were picking up the pieces, we noticed this stuffed in a corner by the table. I brought it up to you as soon as I could."

"Thank you," he murmured. "Is Kimiko still downstairs?"

"Possibly," Ben replied. "She was rather upset about finding this."

Fin nodded. "Ask that she make time to see me later." Ben nodded, slowly before turning and going the way he came.

Finney took the uniform with him as he headed back to his room. He wasn't surprised to find Tony nor the doctor already there as he entered. And both seemed to want to tell him something of importance. "Diluted hydrocyanic acid," the doctor said, at the same time Tony blurted, "Everyone in the apartment was attacked."

The inspector scrunched his face in confusion. "One at a time, please."

Nodding, the doctor proceeded with his report. "Diluted hydrocyanic acid," he repeated. "It's also known as prussic acid and has similar properties as potassium cyanide."

"What does all that mean?" Tony asked, impatiently.

"It means," the doctor huffed. "We've found the true cause of death; well, the beginning cause of death. It causes salivation and paralysis in small doses, which is what I was able to take from her coffee mug. It's my amateur opinion that this was diluted within her tea and when she drank it, she was rendered paralyzed. Then her killer…mutilated her, before escaping."

"Or maybe when Fin saw the mysterious bellboy," Tony began. "He was taking her the tea."

"And then escaped out the window!" The doctor finished, causing both to smile. They turned to Finney to gage his reaction. The inspector smiled at their enthusiasm.

"Interesting theory," he said, nodding. "And your news, Tony?"

"huh?" the American alien asked, forgetting that he too had news to share. "Oh! Right! I was saying that, according to the police report, all those in the apartment - with exception to the children – had been injured in the attack."

"There were children in the house?" asked Chou, horrified.

Tony nodded. "The report said there were four," he said. "Luckily, as I said, they weren't hurt. Whether the attackers knew there were children or they left them alone, I don't know."

"What else did you learn?" Finney asked.

Tony pulled out a similar notebook that his friend owned and flipped through pages. "I had to have my friend read it over to me on the phone," he said, a bit embarrassed. "Uh…oh. There was a couple of stuff that was in the papers, you know to give them a story. Like naming all founders of O'Neil Tech and their relationship to each other.

"As for the attack itself," he continued. "Confirmed deaths were that of O'Neil and her adoptive father; get this! The last name of the father? Splinterson!"

"That does it then," the doctor said, excitedly. "Splinterson came here to kill Oroku. His father was one of the victims!"

"That can't be right," Tony murmured, his face scrunching in confusion. "My guy said the father was a big rat. How the hell to you get a turtle from a rat?"

"Tony…"

"Yeah, yeah," the American alien muttered. "Anyways, the report said that aside from the murders, there were four injured victims, all who went to the hospital in critical condition."

"What were the injuries?" asked Finney.

"One person had a shattered knee," Tony stated. "That I know was the husband; that was in the papers. Two had massive blood loss."

"Due to what?" asked Chou.

Tony flipped through a page. "One had a severed limb," he said. "The other had some severe chest damage. It didn't say in the report what it was. I bet it's in the hospital charts."

Fin nodded slowly. "If I miss my guess," he whispered. "Our last guest should give us the last pieces of the puzzle."

* * *

The inspector sent his fellow investigators ahead of him, while he hoped to run into the second of Mr. Hamato's royal servants. Luck was with him as she noticed her coming out of her father's room, grumbling about something.

"Ah," he stated, startling her somewhat as she turned to face him. "Kimiko, is it? I had hoped that Ben had mentioned that I wanted to speak with you."

The girl took in a breath before nodding. "He did mention that," she said. "How can I help you, Inspector?"

"Ben mentioned that you had been the one to find a disguarded uniform in the dining area earlier," he began. "What was your reason for being there?"

"I was getting myself and Lord Roshi some lunch," she replied.

"Did you not think to call for room service?"

"Sure," she said, shrugging. "However, we're snowed in, with no outward signs of immediate rescue, there's a dead woman somewhere on the floor, and one of the guests is a murderer. I figured with all of that going on, the best thing for me to do was to get myself some food. Besides, I was talking to Ben. He was helping me get some stuff to bring up."

Finney nodded. "I had been speaking with your brother earlier," he said, noting the slight surprise that registered on her face. "I take it that you have also met Casey Jones at some point."

Kimiko crossed her arms, before staring coldly at the alien before her. "I did."

"Perhaps," Fin replied. "Being the elder, as I assume you are, you could tell me the name of his child. That or the name of the boy's godparents."

"What, may I ask, does that have to do with anything?" she asked. "You'll forgive me, Inspector, but it seems to me that you're doing your fair share of being noisy instead of trying to discover where that woman's killer could be."

"And if the killer is here in this hotel?" he countered.

"Then shouldn't you try to find out who that is?" she asked. "Instead of prying into the personal lives of those who are no longer among us?"

"It doesn't bother you then," the alien sneered. "That everyone in this hotel not only heard about the dead woman, but know of the case in which she was implicated."

"Please, Inspector," Kimiko huffed. "Anyone who lives in New York or had lived there knows of Oroku Karai, Oroku Saki, and the Foot. And anyone who's _anyone_ has heard of O'Neil Tech. Isn't your friend from the states? Are you questioning him too? Or the doctor?"

Finney only smirked. "I have gravely underestimated you, my dear," he said, bowing to her slightly. "You may be right. I do enjoy a good mystery and perhaps I am using my…ignorance in the previous case to cloud my judgement on this. You have my apologizes."

"None needed."

"I will keep you no longer," he said, walking past her, however he stopped. "However, if I may ask one more question. Could you tell me what you were doing on the night in question?"

The girl shrugged. "Nicky and I sat around playing cards for a while," she stated. "Then we made sure Dad didn't need anything, Nick stayed, and I went to bed."

"Nothing happened?"

Kimiko began to shake her head, but then stopped. "I saw one of the busboys go by around eleven," she replied. "I thought it was Ben, but he seemed kinda big, you know, so I didn't think anything of it."

"And what were you leaving your room for?"

"I noticed Nick wasn't the room. I went across the hall and wasn't surprised to see both he and my father up doing something to keep them awake."

The inspector laughed in mirth. "Thank you, Kimiko," he said, bowing once more. "Again, my apologizes from keeping you from your duties." Giving her one last smile, he turned and headed downstairs.

* * *

"Mr. O'Neal," Finney said, greeting the large turtle as he entered into the sitting area. "Forgive us for keeping you waiting."

"No big," he grunted, sitting himself down in a nearby chair. "Whatcha wanna know?"

Finney took a seat across from the turtle, casually glancing at him from the corner of the eye. He was much larger than that of the other turtles, not in height, but in pure muscle mass. For some reason, Finney felt this turtle could easily take anything the wrong way and he and the others would need to watch what they said to him.

"On your passport," the inspector began. "It states that you're from the city of Manhattan, New York. Have you lived there long?"

"Born and raised."

"The bellhop Ben mentioned that you and Mr. Angel had been conversing from about eleven to eleven thirty. What were you two discussing?"

"I wasn't discussing anything," the turtle huffed. "Loudmouth wouldn't stop talking for all that time. But yeah, I made my escape around 11:30pm."

"In speaking with Mr. Splinterson," Finney said. "The two of you had the dinner the night of the murder. I couldn't help but overhear him tell you to 'leave it'. He stated it was because you had some previous dealings with Oroku Karai."

O'Neal folded his arms across his chest. "Not with her personally," he replied, coolly. "Her little outfit happen to be in league with the Purple Dragons."

"Purple dragons?" the inspector asked, wondering how colored mythical creatures came into play here.

"You know," the turtle offered. "The gang? Anyway, The Foot backs them with weapons and what not; like any good citizen, I kinda take offense when it comes to punks trying to shake down my city."

Fin nodded. "Then it came as no surprise to you that her true indentity was revealed."

"A snake can shed its skin, but it's still a snake."

"You would then be familiar with O'Neil Tech."

"Tech ain't really my thing," O'Neal said. "But yeah, I've heard of it."

"Did you know April O'Neil?"

"Heard about her, didn't know her."

"What about Casey Jones?"

"Didn't run in the same circles," the turtle grunted. "But I knew the guy and he got a raw deal, if you ask me. And for what? Cause he busted a few Dragons and Foot on a nightly basis? Cause he was tryin' to keep his city clear of punks who go about ruining it? Guy coulda been a big star, playin' hockey for the Rangers, but instead he's take out the punks who burned down his dad's store, took his dad out, too. No man like that should have ta bury his wife and unborn little girl. And he didn't have to go and hang himself neither.

"You want me to be sorry that uppity bitch got what was comin' to her?" he growled. "No way in hell. I only wished it was sooner."

"What do you think happened, Mr. O'Neal?" Fin asked.

"To Karai?" the turtle huffed. "Ain't it obvious? She pissed off too many people and one of them finally gave as good as she got. I think you're wasting your time in asking us questions; the guy's probably long gone by now."

"That thought also occurred to me, Mr. O'Neal," the inspector replied. "Who do you think killed her?"

"With Karai," O'Neal chuckled. "I wouldn't be surprised if one of her underlings killed her. The Foot weren't too happy when she took over."

"Really?"

"Common knowledge."

Finney, personally, found that tidbit to be most interesting. If it were true, then that meant the killer had a pseudo identity and, if what O'Neal believed to be truth, was now long gone with no word of his whereabouts or name. Just as he went to ask O'Neal further, a gasp from Dr. Chou caused him to look and see the smirking face of Mr. Angel.

In his hand, he held a medium sized dagger, whose blade was coated in dried blood. "Why do you bring these daggers from the plate?" Fin murmured, standing and walking over to the turtle.

"What?"

"He means where did you find this?" asked Tony.

"I found it in my room," the turtle replied. "Under the bed."

"Why would that be in your room?" asked O'Neal.

"Dude, how the hell should I know?" the agitated turtle exclaimed. "There I was, right, hit by the writing mojo and I'm all a-twitter in like excitement and I drop my pen. I drop down to get it and it rolls under the bed. So I'm like, 'terrific?', so I go get it and this thing's all glittery and spooky and stuff…"

"Thank you, Mr. Angel," Fin interrupted, afraid that if he let the turtle continue, he would do just that and never stop. Instead, he took the dagger from Angel and handed it to the doctor. "Doctor?"

"The blood could definitely be human," he concluded. "This could very well be the murder weapon."

Finney nodded. "Thank you for bringing this our attention," he said, looking at Angel. "If you would gather the other guests and Ben to join us here, so that we can explain this charade of a murder."

Angel stared at Finney, no hint of an expression on his green face, before trading a glance with O'Neal. Angel nodded, slowly leaving to do as Finney commanded. "I would like to thank you, Mr. O'Neal," the inspector whispered. "You've been most helpful in this matter. You are, of course, requested to stay to hear the outcome of our evidence."

"Not like I got a choice in the matter."

"No," Finney smirked. "You do not."


	8. Chapter VII

**Chapter VIII**

* * *

"Gentlemen and lady," Finney instructed, once the guests were all seated around him. "I ask that you please do not speak until I have finished. If you have any questions or anything to add, I humbly request that you wait until I have concluded."

Waving a hand to a table next to him, he allowed the guests to see what he had placed upon it – the missing button found by Mike Angel; the uniform that it went with found by the king's servant Kimiko and the bellboy Ben; the passkey that was found within the uniform's pocket; the slide that contained a single drop of tea which was analyzed by Dr. Chou; and the blood stained dagger that had been found by Mike Angel.

"You are now all aware that a repulsive murderess has herself been repulsively and perhaps, deservedly murdered," the inspector continued. "The question of how has been partially answered by the good doctor, but the question of why is what still remains. I am inclined to agree with the theory presented by the doctor, that an unknown assailant disguised himself as a bell hop in order to gain access to the murdered woman's room, killed her, and then escaped out of her window into the snow drift below.

"The uniform found by both Kimiko and Benjiro, with the passkey inside a pants pocket, as well as missing a button which was found by Mike Angel suggests that the killer left the evidence to be found," he said. "Dr. Chou said the murder took place between eleven and one in the morning, which fits with the events.

"At eleven, I heard Karai call out that she had a nightmare; soon after, I was awoken and upon opening my door, saw what looked to be an attendant going down the hall. This person was also seen by Kimiko roughly at the same time. At eleven thirty came Mr. Angel's announcement that he had heard a loud noise outside his door. The manager has stated that the snow fall began to get heavy around midnight.

"The next morning, the murder was discovered; but for the killer and that of his identity remain hidden. Again, I'm also inclined to go with Mr. O'Neal's theory that a member of Oroku Karai's own organization is responsible for her murder, for either vengeance at usurping the throne, so to speak, or for some other nefarious deed that met with anger and violence.

"This is…what I will call my first solution."

The inspector let that hang in the air for some time before Dr. Chou sputtered, "That's it?"

Fin sighed. "No, Doctor," he said. "I said that was my first solution, which is a much simpler explanation to the events that have taken place. There is a much more…complicated explanation. But remember my first solution as I begin to tell you the second solution that I've come up with.

"Let us for the moment go with the argument that there _was_ no mysterious assailant present," he continued. "Which means that the murder was committed by someone who is this hotel, meaning that the murderer is someone within this room. Again, for the moment, let us not wonder how the murder was committed, but why. The _why _will tell us _how_.

"I must admit, not being a native species of Earth, that I was quite surprised at how many of you were from the state of New York, but more so to the fact that many of you, if not all of you, have some sort of connection to our current country of Japan. I was even more surprised that many of you still remembered the O'Neil murder case, though from my understanding, it was an event that happened fifteen years ago.

"Equally of note was the fact that while most of you denied ever knowing April O'Neil or her family, either had some connection with her or her company of O'Neil Tech. Furthermore, as many of you emphatically stated, as residents of New York, you had all of course heard of Oroku Karai. At first, I didn't think anything about it; as you yourself said Tony, it isn't unheard of for people from the same state to be in the same location for a vacation.

"However, as I talked with the guests and learned more about the previous case, I was surprised at the amount of lies that I was encountering. When I spoke with his majesty, it seemed I knew more about his former life as one of the co-founders of O'Neil Tech from hearing and gathering the news than he did of his frequent time spent there. His answers to my questions were evasive.

"I asked him if April O'Neil had several adopted brothers -"

"_I believe she did."_

"Evasion," Fin replied. "I asked about her adoptive father -"

"_I would guess she had one."_

"Evasion. When I asked if April had granted parental guidance to two sets of godparents, his reply - "

"_I only knew that she had done so when her son was born. I wasn't privy to their names."_

"An outward lie!" the inspector exclaimed. "As a co-founder of O'Neil Tech, not only would he know the names of those godparents, but being one of April O'Neil's adoptive brothers _himself_, it would not surprise me if he and that of his wife were one of those godparents." Looking at Niccolo, he asked, "Perhaps one of your servants would know who the other set of godparents were.

"I discovered that along with being a dutiful son, Niccolo is also a dutiful and loyal nephew and probably a loyal godson to his godparents, April O'Neil and Casey Jones."

"That's conjecture," the turtle murmured.

"I didn't have to ask," the inspector replied. "As I deduced with the other guests, you have grown up in a semi-traditional Japanese home. I would rather downplay the fact that he knew about the ceiling fan that hung within the Jones household and instead mention the fact that he called Casey Jones by name, without the traditional honorific at the end, which is a sign of either great friendship or family relationship.

"Nor would I mention the knowledge that Mr. Arnold O'Neal had regarding not only Mr. Jones' childhood, in which his parents' store had burned down or how his father had died, nor the knowledge of Mr. Jones' supposed activities as a vigilante. I also won't mention the convenient name in which he is going by.

"I will also refrain from the _implausible_ reasoning from Mr. Leonardo Splinterson," he said, pointing at the turtle. "Who is a creation of Utrom science and ingenuity, but yet isn't aware that there are others like him. Nor do I find it merely a coincidence that he should know of another dimension, like the one our gracious king presides over, if he had never been there."

Finney looked around the room at the guests assembled. "I didn't have to ask anyone here if they had ever been to this country before," he stated. "I didn't feel I needed to."

"So?" asked Chou.

"Let us count how many people have knowledge of the Japanese language, shall we?" he asked. Pointing, he said, "We have 1. Benjiro Mou, who stated that not only is his mother a fan of Japanese culture, but so is his father, and his grandfather is from Tokyo; 2. Leonardo Splinterson, who has stated his father is of Japanese decent and also from Tokyo; 3. Mike Angel, who is named after his grandfather Yoshi, which is a popular name in Japanese culture; 4. Lord Roshi, who not only rules a Japanese kingdom, but has a Japanese surname; 5. Niccolo, who's father and mother were both raised in traditional Japanese homes and he himself was raised in one.

"6. Kimiko, being Niccolo's sister, who with her brother, was also raised in a traditional Japanese home; and finally 7. Alberti Case, who not only worked for a Japanese woman, but whom himself knows and speaks Japanese."

"Again," Tony asked, exasperated. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"It is my belief, therefore," he said. "That everyone here _did_ know April O'Neil and her husband Casey Jones and I think everyone here were all aware who Nagi Sakura really was."

"Think Finney!?" cried Tony.

"Yes!" shouted the inspector. "Think! What else is there to do in a hotel that's buried in a snow drift? If none of these people have never seen each other before, have never met the murdered woman, and have never heard of April O'Neil or Casey Jones or O'Neil Tech, then why, under interrogation, would they lie about it!?"

"Probably cause they didn't know you would be here," Chou supplied. "Having you in the hotel caught them unawares, so they didn't have time to come up with a cover story."

Finney nodded, impressed by the doctor's reasoning. "Thank you, Doctor," he said, gratefully. "I was afraid I was the only one that could see that. I have to admit that this was unlike any type of murder I had seen and believe me, I have seen my share of murders. As I said, the why of the murder will tell us how. Dr. Chou has since discovered the victim had been poisoned by prussic acid that had been mixed within her tea.

"The wounds were unlike anything I'm sure the good doctor has seen before. You asked, Doctor, why someone would want to murder her in such a way; she had been rendered immobile, if not helped along to breathe. That would mean, as I suggested, that she had been alive, but paralyzed during the ordeal. She had been blinded; her left arm cut off at the elbow; her chest split it open…

"Mr. O'Neal, open your shirt."

"Say what?"

"Open your shirt."

He was being defiant, Finney could definitely see it in his eyes, but he noted the look of surprise and underlining fear in the way his eyes darted over to Splinterson. "What for?"

"I'd like to see your manly chest," the inspector retorted, sarcastically.

"I'm a married man."

"Mr. O'Neal, open your shirt."

"Don't!"

"Mr. Splinterson, be silent! Open your shirt!"

There was a slight hesitation from O'Neal, but he complied, unbuttoning his top buttons from his shirt. The action revealed an ugly scar that run just below his neck and seemed to continue further downwards. Chou ventured over to view it. "It's an old scar," he said, peering at it. Looking up at the turtle, he said, "Depending on how far this goes, this could've been life threatening."

"Bar room brawl," O'Neal replied. "Got a little out of hand, got to be too much."

Finney nodded, turning away to pace. "As I told Mr. Hamato – Donatello, that is – I was unfamiliar with the O'Neil case and therefore had to hunt down information," he replied. "You can imagine how hard it may be to retrieve files from a fifteen year old murder case, but it does help to have connections. As much as I could gather, there was an attack in the Jones home – her adoptive father, a Mr. Splinterson, was killed; April herself taken from the apartment; four figures were taken to the hospital in critical condition.

"It was known that Casey Jones had his knee shattered in the attack, which I must conclude only added to his stress in the aftermath. One victim was said to have lost a limb - " Turning to Angel, he remarked, "I can only guess that limb to be an arm."

"How do you know?" asked the doctor.

"You only need to look at the body of the murdered woman," the inspector replied. "Again, who would want to inflict those kinds of injuries upon her? Who indeed? The person or…people who would want to do that would have gone through considerable trouble to achieve this extraordinary revenge. Would it not have made more sense to just kill her?"

Finney shook head. "No," he whispered. "No. This was a, how do you say? Ah - an 'eye for an eye'. It was not enough to just kill Oroku Karai, who had brought so much suffering to not only others, but to one family in particular, but it was needed to make her suffer as she had made others to do so.

"Again," he continued. "To understand this current murder, we must look at the past murder. Various clues were found within the room; but what if these things were all planted? What if the uniform and button and dagger were all just red herrings to lead us into thinking that an unnamed stranger had committed this crime? And from what source would I get this from? None other than Mr. Alberti Case, who over emphatically insisted that his employer had been receiving threatening letters since his employment."

"Are you saying I'm lying about that?" Case asked, slightly angered.

"Oh no, Mr. Case," Finney insisted, calming the young man. "I believe you, sir. There is no doubt in my mind that she was indeed receiving notes putting her in danger. She had approached me in the night about hiring me to protect her. I find that strange, of course. You mentioned, Mr. Case, that as a woman of her obvious standing and deeds, that she did not travel by herself without the matter of some security. She herself even admitted that. That leads me to guess that Karai was not aware of the trap being laid for her or, perhaps she was only aware when coming to this hotel

"Gentlemen and lady," Finney began. "Let me give you my version of the _second_ solution. Let us propose that fifteen years after the murder of April O'Neil, that Oroku Karai had been successful at evading police and thus justice in her role in that murder. Let us propose that someone, likely a member of that family, found out Karai's location. From there, a plan was formed; a plan in which years of torment would finally be avenged.

"It was not something to be carried out by just anyone, no, no. This was a plan that needed to be put in place in order to not only place the blame on the murder victim by having the idea of a mysterious attacker and thus moving suspicion away from the actual perpetuators. This plan would of course need many a player, many a scheme in order for it to work."

Finney once again looked at the guests assembled. "There would of course need to be someone on the inside," he said. "Someone who would be able to get close to Karai without her becoming suspicious and thus be able to organize and arrange things, while also being able to notify the others. It would need to be someone she didn't know. Seventeen years ago, when her minions stepped foot into the Jones' apartment, they only attacked the adults."

He came to stand in front of the group, looking first from Ben then Case, then the two royal servants. "It's my belief they weren't aware that any children were in the home," he whispered. "What terror that must've been, for four children, whom I assume were either five years old or younger. To perhaps, stumble from their room and see their father or uncle or godfather blinded in the hallway; to find three of their uncles bloody and in agony in the living room.

"Karai would have no knowledge of those children, though two had to be ruled out, didn't they? It would need to be someone who could provide the required documents, to prove that he was someone looking for a job and nothing…sinister. It would mean manipulating documents in order to provide this identity, to ensure that if Karai were ever to check, that she would not come on to something suspicious.

"For that, I'm reminded of something that his royal highness stated - "

"_I have my apprentices," the king said. "I take joy in knowing they are learning as much as they can and that…I share a small part in that."_

"What is the saying?" Fin asked. "Always are there two – a master and an apprentice. And there were apprentices; there needed to be one in which to learn the security of not only Karai's own household, but to be able to gain access to her trust, thus allowing more control over her movements. And where there was an apprentice for security, there was an apprentice, maybe two, to concoct the poison in which Karai was served.

"Just as there was a master to oversee security and science - and a master he is, there is no doubt – there was a master to oversee the carefully laid trap. The killer or killers couldn't just go in and kill Karai, no. They would need a story, a story to tell the authorities least they show up, one that they hoped would not be looked into so thoroughly. There was a master of theatrics, of weaving together a story so tight, that unless deeper questions were asked, would serve a perfectly good purpose.

"There was a weapons master," he continued. "Someone in charge with picking the right weapon, though I have my guess that it is only partially the murder weapon. By no means was this an individualistic endeavor. This was a team effort, with everyone working in accordance to their role. While one went on the inside with Karai, another was dispatched here, to Osaka, to obtain a job at a small inn, one where there would be few guests and an even smaller staff; a place where they wouldn't be able to afford to rent the entire place to one person, but would need at least a few boarders.

"That 'inside man' would be in the position to, say, procure an uniform to show police once the murder was known. But, let's suppose his other duties were to give alibis to those on the floor; to give Karai her poisoned tea and then to give access to those who would need it. In looking over the layout of the hotel, I was surprised to note that there are shared rooms on either end of our floor, with a courtesy door separating the two sections; one room being occupied by Niccolo and Kimiko and the other by Karai and Mr. Case."

"But…" Tony began. "What does that matter? Those courtesy doors always have a lock, which I'm sure was on Karai's side."

"That," the inspector began. "Is where the passkey comes into play. As I said, this whole thing was a red herring, starting from the threatening letters Karai had been receiving. For our part, the deception began where I heard Karai cry out in Japanese that she was having a nightmare. Doctor, what would Karai say, if she was say, from Okinawa?"

"If she was from Okinawa," the doctor began. "She may have said, 'guburii sabitan', which is I'm sorry. Having just woken from a nightmare, she may have lapsed back into the informalities of her area's language."

Fin nodded. "That," he replied, looking at Tony. "Is why I have an interest in the Japanese language and why it is an important clue that all of the guests have some sort of Japanese background. And not just a Japanese background. You'll remember, Tony, that both Mr. Splinterson and Benjiro stated either their father or grandfather was from Tokyo. Mr. Hamato, if you wouldn't mind but to tell me where Miss O'Neil adoptive father hailed from?" he asked, turning to glare at the king.

"Or has the country of your adoptive father slipped your mind as well?"

The royal shifted uncomfortably in his chair and though he was blind and his eyes shielded by the shades he wore, Fin felt the turtle's natural reaction was to cast his eyes downward or to glare at him in defiance.

"Tokyo," came the mutter.

"I must confess," the inspector huffed. "In the frame of mind that I was in, I was slow in noticing the tricks that were being played on me. A murder occurs between the hours of eleven and one, with the victim supposedly crying out at eleven, myself – an off world police inspector – seeing a stranger go down the hall wearing the uniform of a hotel employee, footsteps in the snow under the victim's window…All things forcing themselves in the facts I presented in the first solution.

"But what if…what if the murder took place later than what we were led to believe…"

_Ben placed the tea cup on the bed side table, as Karai instructed. She didn't seem to notice him, only murmuring a thanks under her breath. Case stood just behind him, waiting for instruction from his employer. The two did their best not to look at each other or signal each other to what would finally be the night._

_Bowing out of grudging respect, the bellboy left her room, quickly going downstairs in order to finish his other duties…_

_They planned this down to the letter. Ben had delivered the tea and if what Nick and Kim said was true, they would have an hour window to work in before the poison killed her. Albie had all the equipment in his room and as soon as the poison kicked in, he'd be ready. It was pressure of course; the red head would only have minutes to get her on the IV before the poison killed her. Uncle Don had assured them they would have time and she would come around, but they wanted nothing to chance._

_The bellboy now just needed to secure the uniform and hand it over to his other uncle and the stage would be set. Kim and Albie would cover her and then Uncle Mike had come up with this brilliant story and true to his uncle, he was going to be as obnoxious as possible._

"At midnight," Fin whispered. "The true test began. I hadn't thought anything of the king's blindness nor of Mr. Angel's missing arm; they had each told me the reasons for their loss, however the bitterness in their tones suggested perhaps they did not lose them the way they stated. I came to believe that while this whole charade was a group effort, only a small group were present at Karai's death. Seeing her injuries and finally, seeing the 'bar brawl' scar that Mr. O'Neal has, has now made me understand why Karai was so maimed.

"Eye for an eye, as I said. Eye for eye," he said, glancing at the king. "Limb for a limb," as he looked at Angel. "And scar for a scar. That… would count for the injuries of the occupants in the apartment. In fact, I would not be surprised if, during further examination, Karai suffered a broken knee cap, in honor of one who could not inflict pain."

"But…but…" Chou stumbled. "Why would she need to be awake? And immobile?"

Fin's gaze rested upon the green face of Mr. Splinterson. "Don't you see, Doctor?" he asked. "All of the injuries Karai sustained were ones that were caused during the attack on the Jones household. Can you not guess, then, that out of those occupants, only one had not been scarred? Oh, not physically, no. Emotionally, yes, for he was the one that was made to watch. There is one master I had not mentioned and that is the mastermind. Oh, I believe that the initial idea came from Mr. Case," he said, looking over to the red head. "Whose parents did not die in an automobile accident, as he stated. But who had the misfortune of being the victims' son and ultimately, the catalyst in this whole event.

"Earlier, I perhaps caught Mr. Case in a trap - "

"_Arigato, Mr. Case. Oyasumi nasai__."_

"_Kashikomari mashita,"_

Looking at Case, he said, "While you may have worked for Karai for a year, I highly doubt that she would have taught you her native tongue. So unless one of her guards had done so, I can only guess that you either have gone to school to learn it or that you grew up knowing it. This, of course, would make sense if you had lived in a household that observed Japanese tradition. Perhaps in the home of your godfather, who would have gained custody of you after your father's death.

"The idea was his, yes," Fin continued. "But the plan was set forth by the mastermind, who had been forced, fifteen years ago, as this Foot group attacked his family – killing his father, his sister, his niece, blinding one brother, and handicapping the others. There was a reason he was made to watch, just as there was a reason he wanted her to watch and know the pain that would be against her."

"_Hello Karai."_

_She couldn't move and breathing hurt like a thousand suns, yet when she could focus clearly, she was startled to see four creatures around her. Four familiar creatures._

"_Don't bother struggling," replied one, the one she knew was Donatello. "You've been drugged, I'm sure you've noticed by now. However, my brothers and I didn't want you to die straight off. There's a matter of importance we all need to discuss, so you'll forgive us for making sure we had your full attention."_

_The one whose voice she had heard first – Leonardo, of course – leaned closer in to her. "There's the matter of our sister's death that we would like to talk about it," he said, calmly, as though they were discussing the weather or the day. "We're going to kill you for that, but first - " Holding a dagger in his hands, he continued. "We have some payback for you. Raph wanted to go about this in the manner that was done so many years ago – he wanted to blind you first, like Donnie was; then he was going to cut you up, as he was; then he was going to cut off your arm, like you left Mikey, and then we were going to shatter your knee, but…" Here he shook his head. "I said you didn't deserve the mercy in all that. You're going to watch this, Karai, just as you made me watch."_

Fin looked around; he was not surprised to see the guests resigned to his explanation and to their fate, as though in the end, that this would be a consequence of their actions. "I repeat," he said. "A repulsive murderess has herself been repulsively and…perhaps deservedly murdered. So now you've heard my solutions. Which should we go with? The first solution, in which a mysterious intruder is the murderer or the second, which I've just laid out, which would, no doubt, cause many questions to be asked and cause a bit of scandal to those involved.

"Dr. Chou, Tony, you've been a great help to me on this case and it would be unfair to leave you out of this decision. Personally - " Here he paused with a bit of a sigh. "I believe the manager of the hotel and thus, the Japanese police would greatly benefit from the more simple answer of the first solution."

Tony and the doctor looked at each other, silently communicating between them. At last, the American alien also sighed. "We have a uniform," he said. "There had to be someone in it. Both Finney and Kimiko saw him, Mr. Angel heard him, and certainly, there's enough evidence to support the first theory, if not just from the woman's dirty dealings. Cause of that…I'm with Fin; I think the first solution is the way to go."


	9. Epilogue 1

**Epilogue I**

* * *

After he had told his story, the full story, Hamato Leonardo gathered his things and began the galactic journey back to the United States. He said goodbye to his niece and nephews, telling them that he loved them; once he arrived at the O'Neil Tech building, he found his younger brother's office, using the key that he had been given and walked in.

He just sat in the chair in front of the desk, trying to calm himself. They did it; it was done. True, he felt as though a tremendous weight had been lifted off his shoulders, but they had to kill in order for that to happen.

And worse, he had _enjoyed_ it.

And he knew his brothers did as well, just as Albie was quite satisfied with the outcome and would probably never be affected, but Leo on the other hand…

This went against everything they had ever been taught, against everything they had learned from Master Splinter, but again, Leo just couldn't make himself feel bad for what they had done and that disturbed him greatly.

However, it was the next course of action that made him nervous.

Standing from his seat, he went to the phone that sat on Donnie's desk and dialed his wife.

They didn't need directions as far as where they were headed, they knew the way well, as they had been here before. This was their home once, when they had been younger and their father still alive. They had agreed to this course of action, as one of those consequences if this were to actually work.

While they hadn't done anything to arouse the Japanese police's suspicion, it was still an act that couldn't go unpunished. There had been arguments against this course, but still, this was the consequence for such an action. And while it did seem as though they were only bringing about more heartache, it was something that needed to be done.

So they agreed to meet here, at the dojo inside of their humble sewer dwelling, where they had once called upon so many years earlier.

It was still the same; the combination that Don implemented still in place, allowing them to enter the abandoned reservoir station that had served as their home since Karai had destroyed their old lair.

It was nearly as big as the old lair, though they did have a few new areas and rooms that the sewer company put in while they worked on the system. While one day they would've come back to look around, remember the times that they shared here, with each other, with their father, and their friends…but it was not this day.

This day was a rather somber affair; they had gathered together, the turtle brothers four in order to bring balance back to their family, to bring honor back amongst them. They had talked - after hearing Albie's initial plan to take Karai down by himself, after they all talked and decided on their course of action - they had met in the barn of the old farmhouse, now Leo's. As brothers, they didn't need to be told what was going on in the elder's mind and as students of ninjitsu, they didn't need to be told the consequences of their plan.

And there, they had discussed it.

And now, they were here to carry it out. Though they had left Osaka separately, all four managed to arrive at the lair at the same time, all knowing the deed they would need to do. So instead of the regular brotherly banter, the four nodded to each other before heading into the dojo.

The dojo was just how they left it, just after their father and teacher had died. It was only a tad bit dusty, as they had done a rigorous cleaning before they decided to leave their lair for the time being; the tatami mats still lay against the walls as they had left them. Raphael and Donatello – dubbed the 'middle' children – went to fetch two and laid them out, as though they were getting ready for morning practice.

Once that was done, the turtles stood around, staring at each other, trying to say what they could through their eyes. Michelangelo – who had always been dubbed as the 'youngest' – had never been one to shy away from his emotions, so he quickly gave his brothers each a hug, keeping his tears to himself. They stood in a tight huddle, with words being whispered by Leo –

"We'll see each other soon. Our sons and daughters have given us the greatest joy possible; our wives have given us the love we could never share as brothers. We have avenged our sister and our fallen brother; we have brought honor back to their son and our nephew. It is time that we bring back honor to them, to our families, to our father, and to ourselves."

They broke their huddle, each standing back, and sniffing; even Raph, who had always been the hot head, who tried his hardest to never show his emotions.

It was time.

Michelangelo, as the youngest, nodded to his brothers. "I love you guys," he sobbed. "Know that, okay?" Receiving nods, he nodded again before kneeling on the first mat. He held his head high and waited.

They would do this in the traditional, old ways of Japan, as their heritage dictated; Leonardo, as the oldest, placed the plate before his youngest brother before removing the tanto from his belt and putting it upon the plate. Neither looked at each other and nothing was said between them. The elder then stood, walking around the orange banded turtle and stood before his immediate younger brother. He removed one of his swords from his back and handed it to him, nodding once.

Michelangelo knew it was time, however his nervousness and fear were trying hard to vie for attention. But he needed to be strong; as the youngest, of course he needed to go first, but it didn't mean he wasn't a little nervous about it. However, he was going to go out like the warrior he was.

Picking up the tanto by the blade, Mike readied himself before plunging the dagger into his abdomen, moving it from left to right. A grunt followed the action, but the turtle said nothing as he waited for the final blow.

Raphael, who stood behind his youngest brother, readied the sword he had received from his older, griping the handle with both of his hands. Silently, he mentally told his brother he was sorry before he swung the sword, the blade connecting with the green neck before him, severing the head from his shoulders.

The green head rolled forward, landing neatly in the body's lap; soon after, the headless body of Hamato Michelangelo slumped forward.

The silence still held for the three remaining brothers. "It's done," Leo whispered, placing a hand on his now youngest brother, leading him to the tatami that waited for him.

Donatello nodded, slowly, removing the shades that hid his eyes and sinking to his knees. While the brainy turtle could no longer see, his eyes still held their rich chocolate brown color, however they were now tinged with red, as though the turtle had gone days or weeks without sleep.

This was the end result of whatever powder was thrust into his eyes so many nights ago.

Donnie could feel Raph kneel before him, laying a similar tanto on the plate that Mike had used. He felt his immediate older brother stare at him, so he gave him a confident smile and nodded, letting him know what was about to be done and why it needed to be done.

Donnie knew that Raph would not be his executioner; they had decided this – it would be by age and it would be finished by a kaishakunin, a second. Mikey had chosen Raph as his second, he had always looked up to the hot headed turtle and always went to him when nightmares awoke him; Donnie had chosen Leo. He admired both his older brothers and though he thought he was closer to Raph, he always felt closest to Leo.

Taking another deep breath, the brainy turtle didn't take as much time as his little brother had. He had made his peace with this decision, knowing that – while he hadn't actually seen the crime - he had participated in it and had enjoyed it, there was no doubt. That stirred something within him, as though the last part of anything peaceful in him had shriveled the night their father was murdered and died the day they found April.

Reaching out, his fingers brushed over the smooth steel of the tanto before finding the cloth wrapped around it and picking it up. He held it blade facing towards him and taking another breath, he plunged the dagger into his abdomen, just as Michelangelo had done. There was pain, of course, but their training had taught them to ignore pain when possible, so Donatello tuned it out.

He didn't even feel the blade of the second sword cut through his neck.

The last remaining turtles quickly, though somberly began to clean up the bodies and the blood that had been spilled. They moved the bodies off to the side, though still within the center of the room. They were laid out – Michelangelo first, then Donatello – their arms crossed over their plastron and their heads placed next to their bodies. There would still need to be work done here, however as the eldest, Leonardo took it upon himself to do these final things.

The two older brothers looked at each other – so many years of their life had been locked in battle for supremacy in their clan and their home. There were few fun times between them and with that, carried a lot of guilt and regret. Times hadn't gotten that much easier after their father and friends' deaths; if anything, the chasm that separated them seemed to grow.

It was ironic, that they shared so many of the qualities that kept them apart, especially in recent events. They both responsible for that night, though in hindsight, Karai had planned her attack perfectly, knowing how the brothers would react; or perhaps those she used had just acted faster than the group could handle.

There were no answers to those questions and that was brought their guilt to the heart. If only Leo had been more aware, if only Raph had been able to stop them in the hallway, before they were able to attack Mike and Casey; before they were able to cart April off.

Things had changed between them, between the entire dynamic of their brotherhood and their family. Yes, they had lived a life without April O'Neil and Casey Jones, but once they had entered into their lives, it was hard to imagine that other life, the one before their first encounters with humans, but this was where they were now.

But it was completely different.

They had both changed in this aftermath, they hadn't been the same turtles afterwards. And, in standing there, looking at each other, they still weren't. In another lifetime, Raph would've been up in arms about what they were doing, that nothing in Bushido constituted that after they had killed the bitch who murdered their family, that they themselves would need to turn around and kill themselves. It was like Casey all over again.

In another lifetime, Leo probably wouldn't have even thought about this, wouldn't have considered not only going along with Albie's revenge, but allowing his entire family, including his son, go along with it too. He probably wouldn't have allowed it; it was something Raph did and Bushido taught them that revenge was not the way to go.

But those were other lifetimes, when their family was intact and whole; death was a part of their lives, they knew this and they had always known they would possibly be killed in battle one day or even die a natural death. But none of their heartache was natural; it was the engineering of a bitter woman who only felt hatred in her heart.

"It's full circle, isn't it?" the eldest asked.

"How's that?"

"Mashimi killed Shen," Leo began. "Yoshi killed Mashimi, the Shredder killed Yoshi, we essentially kill the Shredder, making sure he can never return and that he'll probably rot on whatever planet the Utroms sent him to. Karai, as his daughter, kills our father and our sister and we in turn killed her."

"And now we prepare to die ourselves," Raph finished. Somewhere, in the back of his head, he was screaming that all of that, all of this, was complete bull shit. But that was the other Raphael; this Raph understood what his brother was saying and wasn't going to dispute it. He watched as his brother nodded.

"It stops with us."

"What happens if the Foot comes after our family again?"

"Do you expect them to?" Leo asked. "After…what happened, we didn't go out and get our revenge; we _couldn't_. And that's what they wanted; they thought us destroyed. From what Albie found out, those that were still loyal to Karai were only there until we were taken care of. That was why it had been so easy getting Albert in and getting so close to Karai. She was abandoned; there was nothing left for the Foot. And when they do discover that she's dead…Only those that saw or know of Albie could ever trace us and really, when you consider the backlash that came with April and Splinter's murder, do you really think they'll even attempt trying to take Albie?"

The red banded turtle thought over the reasoning and felt they were sound; when it was speculated that Karai was involved, any and everything she had her hands in faltered, most respected New York businesses didn't want to have anything to do with her, for fear their business would suffer. To kill one of the co-founders of the most successful technology companies rocked the organization; killing the son and heir would surely destroy them.

With silent agreement, the last two turtles continued on their quest of salvation; first by meticulously clearing away the blood that was left and taking the blood splattered tatami mats and putting them under their younger brothers. Raphael then grabbed a third mat and placed it in the center of the dojo, just as they had done for years before practice. As was done by his younger brothers, Raph sat upon the mat and waited for Leo to place the tanto on the plate before him.

Raphael was not scared of death; he had accepted it years before, knowing that he wanted to go out in a blaze of glory, taking out bastards that dared to hurt his family or hurt those in _his_ city. That was why he was so angry at Casey for doing what he did – they were supposed to go out fighting, not whimpering in defeat. It was funny then that the temperamental turtle found himself about to do what his best friend had done years earlier, even if it was for honorable means. But now, the red turtle understood the reasons. The fight was gone, they had defeated their foe, making sure her death was anything but honorable, but it placed their honor in question.

There was a snag of course in this type of action and that was the thinking; thinking of the wrongs done against others, of harsh words said, of actions taken out of spite…and no one had been on the receiving end more than Leo.

"Gomen nasai, Ani."

The elder looked at his brother in confusion, pausing in his placement of the dagger in his hand. His hot headed brother's head seemed bowed in shame, his eyes not meeting his own. "For what?"

"Everything."

"Hazukashii garanaide kudasai, Otouto," (don't be ashamed, little brother) Leo whispered. "There are many things in life that we regret and cannot change. We can only hope to teach our mistakes and lessons and learn from them."

Raphael nodded slowly. "I'm proud of you," the elder continued, chuckling at the look of surprise that registered on his brother's face. "I know I don't say it often and I should; there were so many things that I should've said to each of you, to our father…it seems wrong that we wait until the end to say the things we should have."

Raph nodded, slowly. "That's why I apologized."

"You didn't have to," Leo whispered. "And I should apologize as well; you always surprised me, all of you did and sometimes I never trusted you enough. I never meant to push you away, to close in on myself the way I did. That's why I wanted you to train Benji; I was afraid I would push my own son away and I couldn't do that. Couldn't do to my son what I had done to my own brothers."

Patting his last remaining younger brother on the shoulder, he sighed. "This isn't the time for regrets, Raphael," he said.

The red banded turtle nodded, slowly. "I'm ready."

Giving his shoulder one last squeeze, Leo stood and walked behind him. He watched, for a third time, as one of his brother's committed the act of seppuku and, as his brother's second, one of his swords was used to sever their heads. He moved Raph's body over to his other siblings, along with his head, and placed all three side by side. He then began to prepare for his own ritual.

There had been arguments, of course, with what he had proposed but despite their very Americanized lives, they had grown up in the Japanese traditions, as well as the warrior code of Bushido. Their actions were not tolerated, even if in their hearts they were justified. As the eldest, Leonardo took it as his responsibility to see that these things, however sad or heart wrenching, were done accordingly.

He left the dojo quickly, retrieving a bed sheet that they still had within the lair's linen closet and draped it across the body's of his brothers. They had all gone through their share of pain and now, there could be some semblance of peace. Their plan of revenge had taken time and therefore, it allowed them to spend their last moments with their loved ones. Yes, this act would separate them from their families, but they would be reunited with those that had passed before them.

Master Yoshi.

Tang Shen.

Master Splinter.

April.

Casey.

The four could leave, knowing their families would be alright. Albert would ensure that O'Neil Tech provided for his extended family, just as Leo knew he would probably bring in Kimiko as an official partner; Benjiro and Niccolo would undoubtly make sure that any future generation was taught their fighting style and lessons; Jomei would make sure everyone knew of the generation before them.

He told Raph no regrets, but even Leo couldn't help the sadness that washed over him. He would never see his sons get married, nor his niece and nephew; he would never see nor hold any grandchildren that may come. Suddenly he wished this whole ordeal had never happened, that he had never been seen by the Foot and thereby, Oroku Saki, that he had never known Karai...and deeply, he nearly wished they had never met April or Casey.

As soon as those thoughts came, he dismissed them angrily. Would a life have been better without the trials they had shared? He wanted to say yes, but he couldn't; there had been good times with their human friends and family, a lot of good times and it was selfish of him to think otherwise and demean all of that.

He spent the next hour cleaning the dojo and preparing the bodies. He had made plans previously on what was to happen once everything had been completed and he knew that his orders would be carried out. Looking around after he had finished, Leo was surprised to note that, aside from the bodies of his dead and beheaded brothers, the room looked like it had for years. He closed his years and could very easily hear the familiar sounds of their training and time spent there. He could hear Michelangelo's laughter as he dodged an oncoming blow; could hear the rhythm of the punching bag as Raphael worked out his anger; he could hear the swoosh of air as his katanas went through the air, as well as the sound of Donatello's bo hitting a surface.

He could hear Master Splinter's instructions...and he heard April's answers to his questions.

Opening his eyes, the elder turtle knew it was time.

Hamato Benjiro was every bit his father's son. Despite the fact that he was technically his step-father, Benji had none the less taken to the turtle as he would his own flesh and blood. The young alien male had grown up within the sewer lair until they had moved to be closer to O'Neil Tech and then once more out to the farmhouse after the death of Casey Jones. Benji took his Japanese heritage very seriously, just as his father and grandfather before him did; he was proud to be a member of the Hamato clan and part of the legacy that had begun with the wizened master, the Ancient One and he was proud to lead this clan after his father's life left him.

While the turtles had discussed what would happen after Karai's death, the next generation had also discussed what would happen. None of the six elder children felt any remorse at what they would do – they had been there, had witnessed the destruction of their family right before their eyes and at such a tender age. No, they would not be sorry to see the murderess done with. But knowing that their fathers and uncles planned to bring back the honor which had been lost meant changes.

Most importantly, who would lead their clan?

After Splinter's murder, the role had obviously gone to Leonardo, who had been trained as jounin, or second in command to their master and father. The eldest turtle had always taken that role and the role he would assume one day seriously; however, in the aftermath of their loss, any type of leadership seemed to be lost period. It was only in the planning stages had they seen the return of the Leonardo they knew.

The children had discussed it and had made a decision and therefore, had approached their appointed leaders. By all rights, as the oldest, Kimiko should assume the mantle of clan leader; however, in Japanese tradition, it was the male who lead. While a double edge sword certainly, Kimmie was already in the line of becoming queen once her mother passed on and as a princess of Roshi, she had other duties, especially if she were to become partner within O'Neil Tech as her status and friendship claimed.

As the eldest male, leadership could be handed to Albie; however, the young man had politely turned it down, stating his other responsibilities with his parents' company. Leadership would of course go down the line and that succession lead to Benji. He had been taught of course, but his father, uncles, and grandfather of the clan tradition and though he and Nick could get into trouble, by his teens, the alien boy had proved he had the caliber to take over in his father's stead.

His first act as clan leader was to deliver the bodies of his fallen forbearers.

It was a task he did not look forward, made worse as he would need to decide what he should do with his father. As Leo was the last, he had no second, thereby his head would remain intact. The decision to remove it would be in the hands of his son.

Benjiro had done his best to wait until early the next morning to venture down to the lair where so many of them had called home at one time or another, letting himself in through the door and pausing before making his way towards the dojo. He had been up earlier, preparing himself for what he would find, but even his mental preparations couldn't help when he entered the cherished dojo.

If not for the four bodies that lay in the center, Benji would've thought he had just come down for morning practice. He didn't need to remove the white sheet to know his three uncles lay underneath, but he couldn't stop the sob that tore through him when he saw the one turtle who was not covered – his father. Benji found the turtles in death as they had been when Master Splinter first found them in life – huddled together, in a pool of stranger liquid, though the alien boy would find these four not in the pink ooze that created them, but in the rust color of red from which they departed.


	10. Epilogue 2

A/N: So ends this tale of murder and mayhem. Thanks to those that read and reviewed.

* * *

**A Murder in Osaka**

_Epilogue II_

* * *

"Mr. Toriop."

After the snow plows had come and gone, after the Japanese police had questioned everyone and had taken the body of Oroku Karai away, Finney C. Toriop retired to his room, heavy of both heart and mind. As an off world detective, he did not need to adhere to the Earth's practices, though it was curtesy to do so, therefore, he didn't need to confide in the police here of the true story of what happened.

And though he had a clearer picture of the murder, he did not know or have all the details. Yes, he was positive that the guests in the hotel were the murdered woman's killers – he was sure that the king had used his knowledge of chemistry to make the deadly poison; he was sure Benjiro had posted himself in this hotel for the very task of bringing that poison and allowing the others access; he was sure that Mr. Case – who in realty was the son of the previous murder victim, as well as heir to O'Neil Tech – had stationed himself in Karai's circle in order to have access to her; and he knew that all four turtle creatures were April O'Neil's adoptive brothers.

However, there was a sorrow he felt for this family. Justice had clearly not been done for them; true, the actual murderers had been captured and sentenced, but their leader had gone free, the law unable to catch and try her. While he was not a species of Earth, he had studied Earth law and found it lacking. How a planet could survive when resources went and were used for the criminal element he did not understand. The cases he had seen showed an unhealthy fascination with murderers and rapists and other criminals, while victims and their families suffered.

This did not happen on his planet; victims always had a say in how a criminal be treated. Yes, sometimes it was brutal, but the law was always with the victim, never the prepetraitor.

Hearing a knock on his door, he opened it, rather stunned to see Mr. Splinterson, or rather Hamato Leonardo, standing on the other side.

"Mr. Toriop," he said, bowing in greeting.

"Mr. Splinter…" he started but stopped himself. "Mr. Hamato, forgive me."

"S'alright," the turtle murmured. "May I have a word?"

Finney nodded, opening the door and allowing him in. Closing the door behind him, the inspector noticed the sagging of the creatures shoulders, as though a weight and a burden had simultaneously landed on them.

"I wanted to thank you," Leonardo whispered. "For telling the police about the first solution."

Finney waved him off. "Think nothing of it."

The turtle shook his head. "No," he said. "That isn't right. I've brought a heavy burden on you, I can see it. That's…that's why I've come to confess. You were right, of course, that…that the initial idea was Albie's…but I'm the one who planned the go ahead." Turning from the inspector, he sighed. "Our father taught us that all life was sacred," he whispered. "In all of our adventures, my brothers and I have managed to kill one, maybe two people. Self defense," he added, seeing the look Fin gave him.

"We have never willingly taken a life," he continued. "And yet, we not only willingly took a life, but we conspired to do so. I'd like to think my father would understand, but I know there would be disappointment in his eyes. His master – my grandfather, by all rights – had learned that lesson; that anger, if it festers, was like a splinter." Pausing to look at the alien detective, he said, "I'd like to tell you what happened, if you want to know."

Though the alien had a fairly good idea that this murder was…justified, he only knew particulars about the previous crime and those had been told second hand by Tony. But looking at the turtle, Fin felt that this would ease the tension in the man's shoulders and perhaps, give him the peace he had been searching for in seventeen years. He nodded.

"As you said, Inspector," Leonardo began. "To understand this murder, you have to understand the previous one…"

* * *

With a happy sigh, Finney C. Toriop closed his suitcase. While he had been a bit saddened at having to leave the city of Osaka, he thought it better for his conscience if he continued on his tour of the Japanese country and culture.

He had sat and listened to the story of Hamato Leonardo, the oldest of four turtle brothers and the eldest son of an anamorphic Japanese rat for nearly two hours, hearing everything from the beginnings of the his life as a mutant ninja turtle to how he had organized this extraordinary revenge. The entire tale had been fantastic – his story that he was a product of Utrom ingenuity had been true, though it had been a complete mistake due to a traffic accident; but there had been no mistake in hearing the affection and complete sadness that the turtle's voice held in speaking of his father.

He explained that he and Oroku Karai had a somewhat love/hate relationship and in the ensuing years, whatever friendship or love that teetered between them had been shattered the night they had been attacked in the Jones home. There had been bitterness as he described how he had been caught unawares, as they all had, lulled into a sense of security and perhaps domestic peacefulness.

He hadn't learned about his father until later, but had heard the call of distress from his brother, saw two of them fall before him, and heard the sound of bone being broken. He didn't remember much after that. After that night and then discovering April O'Neil's body…it had been hard. He himself had been surprised that his wife hadn't left him.

Leonardo had been just as surprised when Albie – otherwise known as A.C. Jones, the now current owner and president of O'Neil Tech – had told him he had found Karai and he was going after her. There was much discussion and though he had warned everyone of the consequences, even Leonardo couldn't help but want revenge. And they planned, oh did they plan!

Donatello of course had made the fake documents for Albie, had also gone and made the fake passports for everyone, with the help of Albie and Kim, who had always been his little helpers and inventors. It was the royal who oversaw the making of the poison, though it was Nick and Kim who made it. Nick was on par with his father when it came to chemistry and like the little brother he was, he had enlisted his sister, the biologist, in their concoction.

Michelangelo had come up with the story of the mysterious assailant and wanted everyone to make sure they played up Karai's dirty dealings. It wasn't a secret now, which was why, according to information supplied by Albie, that she was leaving the country once more.

Raphael had picked the weapon, a dagger that he given to Casey that last Christmas. Casey couldn't come with them this time, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let the vigilante miss this glorious opportunity.

Then there was Leonardo himself – yes, it had been Albie's idea, but the young man had wanted to go alone; had only told his family so they would know what he planned, so if the police came looking, well…he hadn't gotten that far, the vengeance and heartache too great. But Leonardo…he had always been the leader, the strategist, and if they had the opportunity to right the wrongs done upon them, he was not going to let it go to waste.

It had been his idea to place someone within a hotel that Karai would be in, though he hadn't been thrilled when his son had volunteered for the job. However, it would work; Benji had grown up speaking and hearing Japanese and like his father and grandfather before him, he was quite fluid in the language.

The tale was tragic, that was for sure and it truly did split Finney's mind in two. Ultimately, though part of him couldn't believe he was letting these murderers go, the larger part of him needed to sympathize; this Oroku Karai and her father, from what he had heard, had been the heads of a dispictable organization that sold drugs to children, bought guns to kill people, and other deeds. How could he possibly fault a family who had suffer from these people?

Afterwards, he convinced the turtle there was no need to turn himself in, as Finney was going to be leaving. The snowplows had come, clearing the way for the roads, as well as the front and back of the hotel; the Japanese police had questioned the guests regarding Nagi Sakura. No one mentioned who she really was nor did they mention who they truly were.

The Japanese police were none the wiser, as they took statements, with Finney and Tony telling them what they had concluded – that some assailant had come in through the night and murdered her. Both aliens had been sure the woman's true identity would come out eventually, but by then those who had stayed at the hotel, besides Fin, Tony, and the Doctor, would suddenly ceased to exist and would no longer be in the country anyways.

For Finney, he decided that it be best for him to continue on with his journey and to try to forget this case he had incountered. Looking around his room once more, he made sure that he had everything before picking up his suitcase and heading downstairs. He was surprised to see Tony seemingly waiting for him. They shook hands once they were closer.

"Taking off, huh?" asked the American alien.

The inspector nodded. "While the city of Osaka is great," he began. "I have many other cities to see in my travels before I need to go back home."

"Too bad," Tony sighed. "I'm still here for another day and I don't even get the company of the other guests."

"Oh?"

"They're taking off too," Tony remarked, jerking his head to where Hamato Leonardo and A.C. Jones stood in front of the hotel's tele-porter, both aliens watching at the motely group began to say goodbye to each other.

"Uncle Leo?" Albert Casey Jones turned to his uncle, giving him a tight hug. They had done it; he couldn't believe it. They had actually done it. And he held no remorse, none. They had avenged his mother, whom he could scarsely remember; they had avenged the sister he would never know; they had avenged his father, whose body he had found; and they had avenged his grandfather, a kind, gentle being he barely recalled.

And they had been there for him, they hadn't let him do this alone, like he had planned.

Now that their plan was deemed successful and the Japanese police had tired of them, there was no point in staying here any longer than needed.

Leo patted his nephew on the back, proud to have alleviated the demons that he also shared. Releasing him, the former leader saw his youngest brother approaching them, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and a smile on his face, something that hadn't been there for quite some time.

Michelangelo patted his nephew on the shoulder before pulling him into a hug. Letting go, he hugged his oldest brother tightly as he could with one arm, the way Albie had done previously. "It's good to see you smile again, Mike," the elder whispered.

"Things are better now," the youngest replied, his smile wider. "Well, as better as they can be." Looking between the two of them, Mike chuckled. "You two behave yourselves," he smirked. "Wouldn't want you getting into any trouble."

"Get outta here," Leo joked, tapping the orange wearing turtle on the head. Mike gave a small wave before stepping on to the transporter and zipping his way through the universe.

The elder turtle was the first to notice that his immediate younger brother, Raphael, was headed their way. Something within his brother died the day they found Casey hanging from a rope in his bedroom that he had shared with April. While there was no doubt that the former red banded turtle loved his father and his brothers, it was Casey who understood him, understood the anger that simmered beneath the surface.

Casey, who could sometimes be a bit immature, still could be counted on to protect his soul brother, which was one of the only reasons Leo had ever let Raph leave their former home on occasion. April and Splinter's deaths had been hard enough, but it was Raph who knew something wasn't right with Casey and had sometimes despaired that his friend would do something crazy.

Normally having never been big on affection of any sort, after losing three family members within the span of a year made something in his brother note that he could lose someone at any time. That was why Leo nor Albie blinked when the more temperamental turtle hugged his nephew tightly.

Raph had promised his friend that he would do whatever it took to make sure Albie had everything he needed and it was a promise he kept when he had been awarded custody of his soul brother's child. In those eyes that he shared with his father, Raphael not only saw his nephew, but his son.

Giving one last pat, Raph stood back to look at the boy who had become a man almost before his eyes. He definitely looked more like April, with the hair he had inherited from her, as well as her love of technology, but those eyes were all Casey and as was the stubbornness and temper that went with it.

Looking at his older brother, he could see the guilt and heartache that had been constant on his face all but gone. He knew Leo would struggle with this – that had not only conspired to take a life, but had done so in a grisly manner – but overall, Raph thought he would be okay; that they would finally all be okay.

Neither brother said a word to each other, years later they didn't really need to. The fight and bite that they had between them had fizzled, each with their own demons to fight and destroy, without their antagonism to add to it.

Le clapsed a hand on his shoulder, feeling his brother relax under its weight. He shortened the distance, hugging him as he had their other brother, and whispered, "It's over. It's finally over." He felt Raph nod against his shoulder, the realization that they could move on, if you could ever truly move on from something like this, but there could be healing possibily.

"You should get some rest," he continued, pulling away. "You can finally go to sleep."

The hot headed turtle nodded, slowly, the thought of sleep now a welcomed sight. He gave his brother his customary smirk, one that said once he got his rest, Leo wouldn't, and that they would be up to their same tricks as before. Oddly enough, Leonardo welcomed it, looked forward to embracing normalcy, if they ever had it. Chuckling a bit, he watched as his brother went off as the first, to parts unknown, though Leo sincerely hoped that both had gone home.

He wasn't surprised to see the royal portion of his family coming towards him, Donnie being led by Kimiko. If there was one injury that hurt him that night, it was seeing what his intelligent brother had suffered. From the time they could crawl, Don had loved to tinker with things, anything he could get his hands on.

While Raph's injury had been worrisome for nearly a year and Mike had overcome his missing arm, Don could never and would never be able to tinker with anything ever again. Oh, he had tried and nearly set his arm and his workbench on fire with a saline torch. It wasn't to say that he didn't enjoy teaching not only his children, but Albie the finer points of science or technology, but you could see, sometimes, from his posture that he missed what he had once loved doing.

Nick wasted no time in hugging his cousin, his best friend next to Benji. The three of them had been troublemakers, but who had grown into fine young men, loyal to their family and friends. He next turned to his uncle, his godfather, the one he turned to when his father would sometimes detach himself from them, whether in grief or anger.

He knew Albie did that too sometimes, just as his other uncles tended to do. They all did it at one time or another, thoughts that came rushing to the mind that were too much to handle, too much to remember. April and Casey were his godparents, just as his father and mother were godparents to Albie; he didn't know what he would do if he lost them or even Kimmie for that matter.

He hadn't been hesitant at all when the idea had been suggested.

Kim was next, hugging Albie and giving his cheek a sisterly kiss. She had always treated him as though he was another little brother; she had done that with all the boys, having been the only girl at the time. Of course, that had been one reason why the others hadn't wanted her involved; however, she wasn't the daughter of Hamato Donatello and Ito Dellandra for nothing. They needed her skills and she had reminded them of that.

She gave her uncle a hug as well, happy that he didn't seem so guarded and pensive as before. She had worried for him; she remembered him being so strong in the aftermath and then one day seeing him cry from the strain. She hadn't thought anything of it, running over and hugging him tightly, telling him that things would be alright and that one day, they would get the bad guy.

And they had.

Donatello, at moment's like this, missing his eyesight. Yes, in those first few years, it took some time to get used to, but he could overcome not having his sight. He still had ideas and luckily, thanks in part to the company he shared with April and Casey, he could still make blueprints, through the use of virtual reality.

However, all the technology in the world couldn't restore his eyesight; he had already gone that route. After three years, he just gave up the idea, knowing it would never happen. He would never see his children grow, never see if his daughter finally looked like her mother and he would never see how beautiful she would look on her wedding day.

He would never see his wife's lovely face, nor could he look at the man that stood before him now. He knew the childhood face from his memory, the little boy with April's hair and Casey's eyes, whose first word had been "goongola"; did he resemble his mother more now than he did as a child? Or did he take on the aspects of his father?

Don already knew the young man had the intelligence of his mother and he enjoyed answering questions between him and his daughter. After seventeen years, Don finally felt as though his godson could move on, that they _all_ could move on.

The brainy turtle wasted no time in pulling the young man to him in a fatherly hug. "Your mother and father would be so proud of you, Albie," he whispered. Moving to look at the boy in his mind's eye, he continued with, "Just as all of us are so very proud of you."

Albie for his part tried to keep his emotions in check, however hearing something like that had always meant something to him, like it somehow brought him closer to his parents, that wherever they were now, that they actually were proud of him. Choking back a sob, he answered, "Domo arigato, Ojisan."

The turtle held out arm to his left, unsurprised when he felt the familiar hand of his elder brother. Out of all of them, it was Leo he worried for the most. Yes, Raph couldn't do as many things as he once enjoyed and Mikey was without his arm and he without his sight, but never in a million years could he ever hope to live with the scene that Leo saw that night. And the only way Don even knew about it was he had been there when the police had questioned his brother. Leo never spoke of it again.

His bigger brother always felt things that happened to them were his fault, that if only he had been stronger or faster, their pitfalls would never have happened. There had been an immense burden on the elder turtle in the aftermath, because Karai was targeting them specifically, targeting _Leo_ specifically. After all these years, he still thought this was his fault, if he had never agreed to meet Saki and had never cared for Karai as he had, this wouldn't have happened.

Though he couldn't see his brother, Don felt that the tension seemingly rolling off his shoulders. The brainy turtle had imagined he himself would have difficulties with what they had planned; he never liked violence and certainly, this was a violent act seventeen years in the making, but he found that even he held a center of peace. He felt himself being hugged, his mind always off thinking, and he chuckled when he heard his brother say he wouldn't let go till he stopped.

Leo released him, patting him gently on the cheek. His most cherished brother, whose sight he could never replace…the shades he wore kept the scars that were left after a surgery or two, with no luck. But he, like his other brothers, had tried to find place in this new, sightless world; they could finally be free. The elder didn't say anything – he and Donnie had always been close – and years of training had taught each of them to communicate without the use of words.

And though he knew his brother couldn't see him, Leo knew Don understood the look he now gave him, one that held the promise of more visits, of more time with the family, of a retreat to the farmhouse to relax, play, and have fun. He knew his brother understood when he received a nod and a second hug. He began to lead his brother forward, not minding the slap to his arm in protest; in any event, Leo could still be a mother hen.

He and Albie watched as the three began their leave and disappeared one by one back to their home. They both stood, feeling the presence of a third who stood watching with them. The red head was the first to turn, the first to acknowledge their visitor. Leo didn't want to spoil that; the two were the closest of cousins, bordering on siblings rather than cousins.

The elder turtle had been quite surprised that the whole thing had worked the way it had been planned, or rather they just happened to encounter one of the compassionate alien police officers. He had been quite worried in learning who Toriop really was and he had nearly had a heart attack when he and the other alien decided that they were going to investigate. But the others had worn him down, telling him as long as they stuck to their stories, things would be fine.

As harrowing as it was, things did indeed seem to be alright.

"Dad?"

The turtle turned, gazing fondly on the blue alien that stood before him. There were times when Leo couldn't believe the luck and fortune they had encountered in their lives. There had been tragedy, yes, but overall, he couldn't say that he wasn't happy with his life. And before him was proof of that, this young man who he had raised as his own since he was but a baby.

True, he was technically Leo's step-son, but that had never mattered in their family. Just as Master Splinter was their father, despite being of a different species, just as April and Casey were every bit their siblings, Benji had been his son before it had been official. He smiled at the young, his heart still remembering the moment that Benji had volunteered for this aspect. His brothers and he had argued in him going, in any of them doing this, but Ben had stood up and made an impassioned plea. Though biologically he wasn't related to him, Hamato Benjiro was every bit Leonardo's son.

Placing his hands on the boy's shoulders, Leo asked, "Are you headed home?"

Ben shook his head. "I'm going to stay for another week," he answered. "But it will be my last, I notified the manager of that. I figured I'd see you both off though."

Leo nodded, noting that Albie had already moved to the transporter and was waiting for him. Turning back to his son, he said, "Don't keep your mother waiting. It's been hard enough letting you go and spend nearly a month in another country."

"I'm sure Joey kept her company," the young man smirked.

"Yes," Leo chuckled. "But you're our first. It was hard enough keeping Joey out of this."

Benji nodded.

"I'm proud of you, Benjiro," the turtle whispered. "This was not a task I would have ever asked of you, but you performed it well, better than I could have hoped." Ben ducked his head, his face flushed with embarrassment. "I love you, son. You know that, yes?"

"Yeah, Dad, I know."

Leo grinned, knowing he was responsible for the blush that turned his son's face purple. "I'll leave you to it then," he smirked. "Don't dawdle; your mother and I expect you home in one week, understood?"

"Yes Dad," Ben replied, rolling his eyes slightly. Not resisting any longer, Leo pulled his son into a hug, giving him a fatherly pat on his back. The son was the first to pull back. "I gotta get back to work," he whispered. "I'll see you at home." He gave his father a pat on the shoulder before turning and heading off to whatever chores awaited him.

Leo watched him go, then spun on his heel and walked towards the red head who stood waiting for him. Smiling, the turtle nodded and first the young red head and then he stepped on the pad for the transporter and then were transported to their perspective worlds.


End file.
